


Perseverance

by ashitanoyuki



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Abuse, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Aroace Lotor, Blackmail, Coercion, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Forced Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Manipulation, Mind Games, Multi, Other, Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-09-02 22:10:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 26,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16795723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashitanoyuki/pseuds/ashitanoyuki
Summary: Disowned by his father and cut off from his college fund, Lotor knows he will have to take drastic steps to fund the rest of his college degree. On the edge of being forced into crime, a business associate of his father's takes an interest in him. All Lotor has to do is submit to his whims and interests.





	1. The Proposal

**Author's Note:**

> Let the buyer beware. For anyone who came here from my other Voltron fics, and for people who just came here in general - this is going to be a lot darker than most of the Voltron fic I've written in the past. The rape/noncon warning isn't for show. I dislike it when people over-warn, and this certainly isn't the most messed-up thing you could ever encounter, but it is gonna get pretty dark, and seriously, the noncon tag is a warning, as are the abuse tags. It's not all dark here, but the bad stuff is pretty present and often recurring.
> 
> If you'll be upset by abuse or noncon, this isn't the fic for you! Especially in the early chapters. If you're here because you want angst of the advertised sort, though? Well, I hope you enjoy the fic and the comfort that will (eventually) happen!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Making his way through college and cut off from his father's financial support, Lotor receives an offer he can't refuse.

$34,052.19

Lotor stared hopelessly at the statement, due in full by the end of the month if he intended to continue his schooling and actually attend his classes next semester. He swallowed past the lump in his throat, willing the numbers to shift, to change, to become something manageable. Between sleeping rent-free at Acxa's place (a kindness for which he could never repay her) and taking as many hours as he could at the local 24-hour cafe, he had managed to cobble together nearly three grand in savings. Enough to buy his books, probably, but far from enough to pay his tuition.

“Fuck,” Lotor muttered, sinking back into the tattered cushions of Acxa’s couch, rescued from the town dump and painstakingly cleaned to become the only piece of real furniture in the cheap, one-bedroom apartment. He knew the situation was his own fault – he should have been more careful. His father should never have been able to piece together that Lotor's course-load was carrying him towards a “useless” anthropology degree instead of the ordered political science major. He should have covered his tracks better – taken more polisci classes that didn't overlap with anthropology major requirements, or something.

“Fuck,” Lotor repeated, staring down at the statement before him. It was too late to take out a loan – he knew that, even in the impossible dream that he'd be approved. His father had forbidden him from applying for scholarships, so he didn’t even have that measure of financial relief.

He was screwed.

Possibly even screwed enough to take Ezor up on her offered contingency plan. At this point, he might just be desperate enough to rob a bank to pay tuition, and somehow he didn't doubt his deceptively-sweet friend's ability to pull off such a heist. Half of their group's monthly food budget did depend on her shoplifting and fencing skills – what was bank robbery but the next step forward?

In a way, it made sense that the son of one of Daibazaal's most prominent politicians would fall in with a group of petty criminals. Zethrid liked to joke that it must be familiar company, going from hanging around a bunch of crooks to hanging around… well…

In all fairness, the only friend he knew for sure got up to criminal activity was Ezor, but he'd helped Zethrid clean blood off her clothes often enough that he was pretty sure she at least got into her share of serious fights.

The door to the apartment swung open and Acxa stepped over the threshold, her pretty face lined with exhaustion. Her dark purple bangs hung limply in her face, brown roots nearly an inch long and serving to only make her appear more bedraggled. “Don't you have a shift?” she asked Lotor, narrowing her eyes.

“In two hours,” Lotor said tonelessly. “You look dreadful.”

“So do you,” Acxa retorted. Her clever eyes narrowed, and she glared at the paper in his hands. “Let me guess, you got your tuition bill.”

It wasn't possible to sink any lower into the couch, but damn did Lotor try. “I can't pay this,” he said, despondent. “It's well over ten times what I have in my savings, even after everything.” He swallowed hard. “I'm going to have to take Ezor up on her contingency plan.”

Acxa raised an eyebrow. “I thought you wanted to stay out of crime entirely,” she pointed out.

“Well, what choice do I have?” Lotor asked wearily. “My father ensured that I never actually had any money of my own, or the chance to build credit – I can't take out a loan. Until I get my degree, I'm not going to be able to get a better job than my current one, am I? And even if I did, I need to raise tuition funds by the end of the month. This is the only option I have.”

Acxa frowned. “We could set up a GoFundMe,” she suggested, entirely unconvincingly, then shook her head. “No, you're right. There's not enough time.” She regarded Lotor steadily. “You'll need sunglasses,” she said abruptly. “Or a mask that obscures your eyes. And a cap that can fit your hair. You just had to go and have very distinctive features.”

Lotor frowned. “Lots of people have blue eyes,” he said. He would concede the point with his hair - he'd barely been in middle school when his hair abruptly started going white, resulting in a head of white hair all the way down to his waist.

“Not as dark blue as yours, and not with your complexion,” Acxa said, folding her arms across her chest. “I'll coordinate with Ezor while you're at work and see if we can't come up with a solid plan.”

Lotor groaned and closed his eyes. “I hate resorting to this,” he complained. “I should have done something differently. Perhaps if I beg my father and promise to change my major –”

“You'd have to actually go through with it,” Acxa interrupted. “You know he won't let you take any more classes that count towards an anthro major. Do you really want to be stuck with a political science degree and make politics the rest of your life?”

No, he really didn't. His father may have dreamed of making the Galra family the next family of political powerhouses, but Lotor had never shared his father's political inclinations – or opinions, for that matter.

Damn.

“I suppose I'll think about it over my shift,” he said finally. “Who knows – perhaps some generous coffee aficionado will drop thirty grand in the tip jar today,” he added dryly.

Acxa smiled without humor. “Perhaps,” she agreed.

Lotor spent the next hour helping Acxa de-stress – namely listening and making all the right noises as she ranted about the asshole table that had racked up a $160 tab and left a grand five-dollar tip and snide note on the receipt about her “unprofessional” dye job ruining their dinner. He took his customary twenty minutes to prepare for work – the majority of the time spent taming his hair into a braid – before setting off on the half-an-hour walk to work.

He'd never walked so much before losing access to his father's cars. That in and of itself wasn't so bad, he thought. The August air was warm and humid, sure, but it was nice to get his limbs in motion, to feel the scattered wisps of breeze on his face. All around him, people swarmed, gathering in groups or passing him by, all human individuals with their own unique lives that he couldn't even begin to fathom. He was to them as they were to him – a passing figure, an inconsequential shadow, a human being with a life and dreams of his own that they would never know, as he would never know theirs.

It fascinated him.

He reached the coffee shop with just under ten minutes to spare. A brief glance at the schedule confirmed that he was working with Matt tonight – good. He liked Matt. His fellow student was competent, even if he had the tendency to talk Lotor's ears off about his senior thesis. It was better than some of his coworkers who seemed to have no dreams, no ambitions, no goals outside surviving from paycheck to paycheck.

Though perhaps that attitude was uncharitable, especially now that he was in a situation of struggling to keep his head above water. He was increasingly coming to understand that ambition was a luxury that required money.

At 6:00 on the dot, Lotor took his place at the register, plastering on a smile as he replaced Olia at the front. Matt took up position to actually make the orders that came in, and received a clap on the shoulder as Rolo left to clock out.

“I can help the next in line,” Lotor called, offering his smile to the shy-looking girl at the front of the line. “What will it be, miss?”

* * *

Traffic tended to slow at nine, and slow further at ten, and by 11:00 the coffee shop was generally pretty quiet. Lotor and Matt took the opportunity to clean, careful not to disturb the single occupant occupying a table, taking occasional sips of her latte and muttering to herself as she poured over what seemed to be schoolwork. Summer semester was coming to a close – Lotor could only assume she was studying for an exam.

“Man,” Matt commented after the girl finally packed up and left in a rush of silver hair and tired eyes, still clutching her drink, “remind me why we're open 24 hours? It's not like we get business this late, like, ever.”

Lotor eyed his coworker. “Except during spring and fall finals,” he reminded him. College students didn't sleep, so why would the surrounding establishments?

“Yeah, but it's summer. Almost no one comes in between midnight and five,” Matt said, right as the door opened, bells jangling to announce the entry of the newest customer.

Lotor froze for a half-second as his eyes lit on a familiar face. It couldn't be – Sendak? Sendak, one of his father’s most well-known and esteemed donors?

Lotor gritted his teeth. He was shaking, he realized distantly. It had to be a coincidence. Zarkon had disowned him. It was fine. “Hello,” he forced out in greeting, pasting a smile on his face as he set aside his mop and returned to the register. “What can I get you, sir?”

Sendak smiled, his one organic eye glinting with amusement, odd in contrast with the realistic glass eye that contained no expression. “Hello, Lotor,” he said warmly, stopping in front of the counter, brazenly ignoring the pseudonym displayed on his nametag. “I'm glad to see you're well. I heard about the business with you and your father – tragic, I must say.”

Lotor forced himself to continue smiling. “I suppose,” he agreed. He could practically feel Matt's curious stare, and nope, not getting into that here. “Can I take your order?”

Sendak inclined his head. “A plain black coffee, large,” he said. Lotor punched in the order and indicated for Sendak to swipe his card. The older man paid, then leaned against the counter, his good eye seeming to bore into Lotor.

Lotor shuddered and passed the ticket to Matt, then turned to face Sendak again. “Is there anything else I can help you with?” he asked carefully.

Sendak hummed. “When does your shift end?” he asked.

“Your coffee, sir,” Matt interrupted, shoving the drink towards Sendak and casting Lotor a worried look.

Sendak took the drink without looking at Matt, continuing to regard Lotor with his good eye. “Midnight? One?” he asked.

A shudder crawled up Lotor's spine. Nyma was scheduled to replace him in less than an hour. “I'm off the clock at midnight,” he admitted reluctantly.

Sendak hummed in response. “I would like to speak with you, when you've finished your shift,” he said. “All good things, I promise.”

Matt cleared his throat loudly. “Sincline, we should refresh the pastry displays,” he said, his voice just slightly too high-pitched. “Kitchen, now.” He punctuated his words with a nervous jerk of the head.

Lotor nodded and followed Matt back into the kitchen area, unsurprised when Matt locked the door behind them.

“Who is that guy, Sincline?” Matt demanded. “Does he know you? Should we call the cops? We – we should totally call the cops.”

“Don't,” Lotor said immediately. His skin was crawling, but that was just due to the unexpected appearance of one of his father's friends – he was sure of it. “No, don’t. He's a friend of my father's. I've known him since I was a child.”

Matt frowned skeptically. “And he looked at you like he wanted to eat you, and he used your real name,” he said flatly. “Besides, isn't your dad an abusive piece of –”

“My relationship with my father is none of your concern,” Lotor snapped before he could stop himself. He took a deep breath, searching for the affect of calm he needed to cloak himself in. “Look. He's a paying customer, and we will treat him as such. And if he wants to meet with me after my shift…” Lotor swallowed hard. “I'm not stupid. I'll insist that the meeting happens in the café. Nyma and Beezer are both on shift after us, we'll just let them know to keep an eye on Sendak as long as he’s here.”

Matt scowled. “I don't like this,” he said. “That guy gives me the creeps.”

Lotor shrugged. “Frankly, I agree,” he admitted. “But I won’t turn down a chat in a public place. He claims he has only good things to speak of,” he added. “I want to hear what he has to say.”

* * *

With Nyma on register and Beezer on drinks, Lotor settled down in a comfortable chair beside Sendak, cradling a coffee with one cream, no sugar to his chest. “So,” he began without preamble. “You wanted to talk.”

“I do,” Sendak said easily. “I heard that your father disowned and disinherited you, leaving you to struggle through college alone, to make your way in the world starting from nothing. It's a tragedy, as far as I’m concerned.”

Lotor scowled and took a sip of his coffee. “I'm surprised you care,” he said. “You've always been one of my father’s biggest supporters – one of his few friends.”

“And I still am,” Sendak said agreeably. “I have no plans to cease supporting your father in his politics. But I don't see why that should preclude sympathy for you?”

Lotor snorted. “So, what, do you plan to ask my father to re-instate me as his heir?” he asked scornfully.

“Not quite.” Warmth fell across Lotor's thigh, kneading, caressing. Lotor's gaze was drawn down to where the man's remaining organic hand met his flesh, then he looked up to meet his gaze, horrified. “You’ve grown into a beautiful young man,” Sendak said, angling his body to block the view from the counter.

Lotor tensed and yanked his thigh from Sendak's touch. “What do you want from me?” he hissed furiously, his skin crawling.

Sendak shrugged. “I have a lonely job,” he said. “Thankless hours, long days… It used to be bearable, when I could come home to my husband. But after the accident…”

Lotor knew too well what Sendak spoke of. When his private jet was shot down by extremist political factions, sending Sendak's husband Haxus plunging to his doom mere months ago. “What do you want?” Lotor repeated through gritted teeth.

“I want someone to come home to,” Sendak said bluntly. “Someone to talk to, who can understand my job. Someone to comfort me. Someone to warm my bed.”

Lotor scrabbled backwards, attempting to sink into his chair. “I knew you when I was a child,” he hissed, glaring at the man.

“And now you've grown. Now you are a _man,_ not a boy,” Sendak said easily. “A man who knows my trade and can hold an intelligent discussion with me. A man who could stand to benefit from what I can offer.”

Lotor stilled at his words. “And what can you offer?” he asked carefully.

Sendak smiled. “In a gesture of good faith, I took your payment information from Zarkon,” he said easily. “I paid for your next semester of college, major be damned. Live with me, and be mine, and I will put you through the rest of college – even grad school. A PHD, if you want it. I will fund your anthropology endeavors to your heart's content.”

It… it couldn't be true. “What if I say no?” Lotor asked cautiously.

Sendak shrugged. “Then enjoy finding a way to pay for the rest of your schooling. I've alerted the nearby banks to keep an eye out for your little thief friends. Enjoy being blacklisted by every company and museum that would be looking to hire an anthropologist throughout the entire country.”

So there was a stick to go along with the carrot. Lotor clenched his fists. “Very well,” he said finally. “What are your terms?”

Sendak smiled. “You live with me,” he said. “You obey my every order. I will not harm you beyond the limits I know you can take, and you will take what I dole out to you. You will place yourself in my hands and trust me to always do what's best for you, and you will serve me and my desires in return.”

Lotor swallowed hard. A glance at Nyma showed her to be oblivious to the conversation, to everything that was going on. He turned his gaze back to Sendak and nodded, fighting back trepidation.

“I accept.”

* * *

“I don't like it,” Acxa said as Lotor packed his meager belongings into the duffle bag and backpack that he’d had when he showed up at her place months ago. She’d been asleep when Lotor arrived home from work, and he’d only just been able to tell her about the new arrangement that, apparently, was to begin immediately that morning. “This doesn't sound safe, Lotor. You're really just going to let this guy be basically your sugar daddy without vetting him? Without questioning him?!”

Lotor hefted his duffle bag over his shoulder. “He isn't my sugar daddy,” he argued. “I – yes, he did imply that he expects sex in return for paying for my college, but it seems that he mostly wants companionship. It's a small price to pay – a few years of awkwardness to facilitate my goals and dreams, unbeholden to my father. Where else will I ever get such an opportunity?”

Acxa scowled. “Can't you just get financial aid?” she asked.

“Not for another four years, at least.” Because he was 20, and would be required to declare his father's exuberant income. Because apparently 24 was the arbitrary cutoff for receiving parental support. Because no one would believe that Lotor Galra, son of Senator Zarkon Galra, could ever have any financial burdens.

“I know I'll have to sleep with him,” Lotor said finally. It didn't bother him. He knew his sex drive was low, and he'd only ever felt any sort of sexual inclination to one person, long ago, but it didn't repulse him the way it did Acxa. The concept of sleeping his way through college was just on par with working at a coffee shop to get through college – but much more efficient. “It’s something I’ll have to get used to, I suppose. It can’t possibly be worse than dealing with suburban mothers addicted to their soy triple-shot lattes,” he said, “or entitled customers that leave five dollar tips because of the way you style your hair.”

Acxa didn’t look mollified. “I don’t know,” she muttered. “You know you can keep living with me? I’m not going to start charging you rent, or anything, and you can take out a loan –”

“Acxa,” Lotor admonished, frowning. “I’ve examined my options. This is the best of them.”

Her offer would maybe be tempting, had Sendak not strongly implied that he would make Lotor’s career – and his friends’ lives – that much harder should Lotor refuse him. Hardly the best tone to set for their arrangement, he thought wryly, but an effective method of influencing his decision-making nonetheless.

“Just promise me that if it gets to be too much, you’ll leave,” Acxa said. “I mean it,” she added, cutting Lotor off as he opened his mouth to reply. “If he hurts you, or tries to change the arrangement, don’t just put up with it. You have my number, and my home is always open to you.”

Lotor allowed himself to enjoy the warm affection that bloomed in his chest. In the scant years he’d known Acxa, he’d always found her to be a kind, giving soul. Perhaps it was because so many of her friends – their friends – had checkered pasts and came from cruel backgrounds, but whatever the reason, she’d always been a font of compassion. “Of course I’ll leave if it gets to be too much,” he said fondly. “I promise.”

A car horn beeped outside, and Acxa sighed. “Text me,” she ordered as Lotor made his way to the door.

“I will,” Lotor said, before twisting the handle and opening the door. He crossed the threshold, stepping out of his old life and into his new one.


	2. The First Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lotor moves in with Sendak and begins to adjust to his new life.

Of course Sendak would have a nice car. Lotor might not be an expert on vehicles, but one look at the gleaming red finish and plush leather seats told him that Sendak cared greatly for creature comforts. He’d had access to some of his father’s cars before he was disowned, but Zarkon had forbidden him to drive the more luxurious vehicles. Something about trust being earned.

Not once in his life had Lotor earned his father’s trust.

Lotor wouldn’t pretend to not feel awkward as he dumped his ragged duffle and backpack in the trunk of the car, then made his way to the passenger’s seat. He was silent as he climbed in, settling uneasily on the smooth seat.

“Seatbelt,” Sendak said curtly, and Lotor obeyed.

The drive to Sendak’s estate took nearly half-an-hour and passed without conversation. Soft jazz music played at a low volume, and Lotor had to appreciate that, if nothing else, the man he’d be living with for the next few years had tolerable taste in music. He would swear to this day that his ears and neck were permanently damaged from the metal-fest that Zethrid and Ezor had once insisted on dragging him to – never again.

Lotor counted no less than four additional cars when they finally reached the estate and pulled into the large garage – the size of a small house, really. Lotor exited the car without a word and made his way to the trunk, which Sendak had already opened.

“Is that all you have?” Sendak asked, wrinkling his nose at Lotor’s two bags.

Lotor shrugged. “It’s what I could afford,” he replied.

Sendak scowled. “Then I’m to assume everything you own is of substandard quality,” he said. “Take anything that can’t be replaced, and we’ll throw the rest out.”

Lotor stared at Sendak, bewildered. “Excuse me?” he asked.

“I’ll have my tailor come by today to fit you for clothing that doesn’t look like it was fished from a dumpster,” Sendak said, waving a dismissive hand at Lotor’s – admittedly thrifted – button-down and slacks. “Your electronics, we’ll copy the files to your new computer and phone, then get rid of the old ones. Anything else you need, I’ll provide to you,” he said.

Lotor swallowed. He hadn’t bought his books yet, so all he had in his bags were clothes, toiletries, and his laptop. His wallet and cellphone resided in his pockets. If he threw out his clothing and toiletries, he would have only the clothing on his back and his electronics and wallet to his name.

Slowly, he unzipped his backpack and pulled his laptop free. The charger came with it, as did the USB cord he used to charge his cellphone. “I suppose that’s it, then,” he said.

“Leave the bags by the door,” Sendak ordered dismissively, turning from Lotor and stalking towards the interior door to the house. “The cleaning staff will recognize them for the trash they are.”

Lotor gritted his teeth. He had no doubt that Sendak was deliberately coming across as condescending, but it wasn’t like there was anything he could do about it. He left his bags by the door, cradling his laptop to his chest.

The interior of the house was luxurious and opulent, just as Lotor had expected. The garage door led to a large entryway, all vaulted ceilings and intricately carved and gilded walls. The floor was marble, he noticed – interesting choice. Lotor may have grown up wealthy, but his father had still kept to more basic building choices – hardwood floors and papered walls, the stone reserved for gleaming granite countertops Lotor had become well-familiar with when forced to sneak into the kitchen for food.

And of course, he’d spent the past several months sleeping on an air mattress in an apartment with stained walls and laminate floors. It was a jarring-enough change to make the luxurious atmosphere uncomfortable.

“Follow me,” Sendak ordered, gesturing for Lotor to walk with him. Lotor fell in step behind Sendak, passing from the entrance-way into a massive living room, with several doors leading to other rooms. He thought he glimpsed what was surely a dining room through one cracked-open door, and the door to the study was inset with glass, making it easy to see inside.

They passed through a gleaming wooden archway into a short hall with a door at the end. Sendak produced a key from inside his pocket and unlocked the door, allowing it to swing open, revealing an enormous, opulent bedroom. “Go on,” he said, gesturing for Lotor to enter first.

Gingerly, Lotor tread over the threshold, his worn shoes squeaking slightly against the polished floor. The centerpiece of the room was an enormous four-poster bed – California King sized, Lotor was relatively certain. The frame was dark, polished wood, and the coverings were heavily-embroidered and shone like silk.

Lotor pivoted slowly, taking the rest of the room into consideration. A half-open door led to a lavish lavatory, a bathtub the size of Acxa’s entire bathroom catching his eye immediately. Lotor narrowed his eyes, mildly disgusted, and continued his observations. Two additional doors – both likely leading to closets. Multiple armoires lined the walls with the closets, and a desk was tucked against the far wall. Double-paned glass doors led to a large porch outside, and Lotor gazed out at the manicured gardens that comprised much of the visible estate.

“It’s… lovely,” he said quietly, gingerly settling his laptop down on the desk. _Outlandish_ seemed more fitting, but he was hardly in a position to insult Sendak.

Sendak hummed and stepped fully into the room, closing the door behind him. “Take off your clothes,” he ordered abruptly.

Lotor froze.

He knew Sendak would want sex from him. It was implied in the nature of their agreement, to say nothing of the way Sendak had caressed his thigh back in the coffee shop last night. He knew, but he’d thought he’d have more time to settle and adjust. He –

“For god’s sake, stop making that face,” Sendak drawled. “Here – look.” He threw open one of the closet doors – so it was a closet – and stalked inside, emerging with a very expensive-looking silk robe. He tossed the robe to Lotor, who fumbled to catch it. “I don’t expect any favors from you until tonight – you have the rest of the day to settle in. But I refuse to let that mess you’re wearing continue to exist in my home,” he said, his lips curling in a sneer.

Lotor clutched the robe to hide his shaking hands. “Of course,” he said quietly. Sendak’s initials were monogrammed on the breast pocket, he realized distantly. It was his own clothing.

Too-aware of Sendak’s eyes on him, Lotor ducked his head and slowly began to unbutton his shirt. Sendak’s hungry gaze burned his skin, and he held back a shudder.

Lotor knew, objectively, that he was good-looking. He might be completely clueless regarding sexual attraction, but he’d always strived to keep fit and eat well. A body that had been kept starved-thin as a child had fleshed out into lean muscle and only the barest layer of fat, and he knew that his relatively broad shoulders and trim waist were considered desirable. He knew his face was perfectly symmetrical, and his eyes had been called striking often enough that he had to assume they were.

But knowing that others desired him was very different from enduring the heated gaze of a man with sexual inclinations towards him. Lotor ducked his head as he pulled off his shirt, allowing his long hair to shield his chest in some nebulous attempt at modesty.

His pants were more difficult. Lotor fumbled to unbutton them, and his hands shook as he slid down the zipper. He allowed the pants to pool at his feet as he kicked off his shoes, then reached for the robe.

“The underwear as well.”

Lotor jerked back, his eyes flying up instinctively to meet Sendak’s. Lotor was by no means a small man, but Sendak dwarfed him, standing nearly seven feet tall in comparison to Lotor’s six-foot-three. Lotor swallowed hard, his throat bobbing as he stared at the looming man.

His outer clothes may have come from thrift stores, but his underwear – all right, so Walmart was hardly the classiest place to acquire clothing, but – Sendak had a problem even with that?

“Lotor,” Sendak said, a warning in his voice. “I won’t ask again.”

He didn’t have a choice. Sendak was going to see everything eventually, he reasoned as he hooked his thumbs in the waistband of his underwear and divested them as swiftly as possible, reaching for the robe as soon as the offending boxers hit the floor.

The few seconds it took to pull the robe over his shoulders and fasten it to cover his modesty seemed to last an age. Even as he straightened, his pride rebuilding itself, he couldn’t shake the thrill of unease that ran through him as Sendak’s eyes remained, unwavering, on his form. “Thank you,” he said softly, meeting Sendak’s gaze without blinking.

The heat didn’t leave Sendak’s eyes as he regarded Lotor. “Better that robe than your rags,” he said. “I’ll send my tailor to this room when he arrives. Stay put until he’s done with you.” With that, Sendak turned crisply, exiting the room gracefully.

With nothing else to do, Lotor turned his attention to the room – quite obviously Sendak’s bedchamber. Sure enough, both of the doors he’d expected would lead to closets held clothing. Sendak’s closet was packed full with suits and various formal-wear, the occasional outfit of a robe, a dress-shirt and slacks, or pajamas breaking up the litany of suits and tuxedos.

The other closet was less-expected.

Primarily populated with empty hangers, the few outfits left in the closet were doubtless nostalgic pieces that Sendak had kept in memory of Haxus. A few suits remained, as did a few jackets and shawls, robes and shirts and slacks and lingerie. Lotor wasn’t sure how to feel about the existence of _that._ The clothing took up only a fraction of the closet, stored towards the very back. Either Haxus had been frugal in his clothes shopping, or Sendak had chosen to keep only a few nostalgic sets of clothing after the death of his husband.

Closets explored, Lotor turned his attention to the rest of the room. Sendak’s computer was password-protected, and he didn’t have the confidence to hack it. He peered into the bathroom – an expansive vanity spread over multiple sinks and several countertops worth of space; the toilet seemed to be equipped with a myriad of functions; the bathtub could easily hold practically a full party of occupants.

Nothing special, outside of its opulence.

Lotor’s phone chimed from its location in the pocket of his discarded slacks. Hastily, Lotor fished the device free and tapped out the code to unlock his phone. A myriad of new messages in the group chat, and a new text from Acxa.

_Acxa: Text me if he hasn’t turned you into a lampshade_

Lotor chuckled mirthlessly, but took a picture of himself outside the bathtub, capturing the opulence along with his face. _I thought I grew up wealthy, but this is too much!_ he texted back.

His phone chimed in response only a few seconds later. _What are you wearing?_

_Acxa: Lotor_

_Acxa: Tell me he didn’t make you do things already_

She was such a mother-hen. Lotor shook his head before texting back.

_Lotor: Good Lord Acxa, I know he’ll expect sex from me. But no, that didn’t happen. He just didn’t like my clothing._

_Acxa: Thank GOD_

Lotor rolled his eyes and plunged the cellphone into the pocket of his robe. He had the rest of the room to explore, after all. Not that it took up much time – the armoires were primarily filled with sheets and blankets, though one contained what Lotor could only assume passed for Sendak’s casual clothing, and another was locked.

Lotor lasted five minutes after fully exploring the room before settling down into Sendak’s desk chair and pulling out his phone. Might as well amuse himself _somehow_ while he waited for Sendak’s tailor to show up. He selected the group chat and scrolled idly, unsurprised to see that the main topic of conversation was his new, unexpected life change.

_Lotor: Must you gossip about me? You know I see these messages as well, right?_

Almost immediately, Ezor’s name popped up as typing. Lotor only had to wait a few brief seconds before the first message came through – Ezor was never one to compose a single response.

_Ezor: eeeey congrats on bcoming a sugar baby_

_Ezor: so this guys loaded right_

_Ezor: gotta be if ur ace ass is springing for it_

_Ezor: lemme know if hes got any rich friends who need a hand ;)_

Lotor snorted, especially when Zethrid’s expectedly indignant response arrived only a few seconds later. He minimized the chat to pull up Voltron University’s student portal and glance over his book list. It was a relief, to know he wouldn’t have to buy those himself, though he had to admit, he wasn’t sure how Sendak would go about purchasing them for him.

He’d find out soon enough, he guessed.

His mind at ease, Lotor switched to a few international news sites he frequented, content to scroll and read any articles that caught his eye. He was usually good at filtering out clickbait, which meant the articles he did peruse were generally interesting, a prime source of intellectual stimulation during the long summers without classes.

Several abrupt knocks pounded against the door, which swung open to reveal a small, portly man lugging a large wheeled case taller than himself. “Good, you’re still here,” he said, radiating self-importance as he bustled into the room. “My name is Morvok, and I’ll be taking your measurements,” he said, brandishing a flexible plastic tape measure.

Lotor nodded and rose. “You’re Sendak’s tailor?” he questioned.

“Obviously,” Morvok said, puffing out his chest as he turned to throw open the case. “Mr. Kemp has requested I take your measurements and start you off with a few basics today. We’ll get a full wardrobe populated by the end of the month. Take this –” Lotor found himself suddenly in possession of a garment bag shoved against his chest “– and we’ll get started.”

For a “few basics” the tailoring process dragged. Morvok took his base measurements, but also insisted on pinning the clothing to fit Lotor’s measurements while it was still on his body. The whole thing seemed like a waste of time – certainly, as Zarkon’s son Lotor had seen tailors before, as even a disgraced heir should not attend formal events in an ill-fitting suit – but Sendak, it seemed, wanted all of Lotor’s clothing to fit perfectly in every dimension.

He was going to own tailored _pajamas._ What an utterly ridiculous concept!

Finally, hours later, Morvok placed the last pin in the last outfit, a simple soft ensemble of a lavender turtleneck and black slacks. “You can change back into that robe of yours now,” he said dismissively, waving a hand at Lotor. “Don’t jostle those pins!” he called as Lotor, relieved, gathered up Sendak’s monogrammed robe and made his way towards the bathroom to change.

He waited until Morvok had left to text his friends, complaining about the experience.

_Zethrid: Awww poor baby, getting a bunch of free fancy clothes! I bleed for you_

Sometimes, Lotor thought, the girls could be absolutely insufferable.

* * *

He hadn’t entirely forgotten the feeling of being summoned to dinner by household staff, but it had been long enough since he’d lived with his parents that it felt strange to follow a uniformed woman from the bedroom, led through the rooms and down hallways. The strangeness was only magnified by his state of undress – he knew personalized tailoring would take time, but was he really expected to wear only this robe until his clothes were ready? They passed the dining room he had previously noted, passing by several other closed doors before reaching a small eating-nook surrounded by bay windows, overlooking a garden with a small koi pond, lit by the setting sun.

Sendak lounged in the chair at the head of the table. “Lotor,” he greeted, waving a large hand magnanimously at the only other table setting. “Have a seat.”

Lotor lowered himself into the chair, leather padding against dark, polished wood. The plate before him was loaded with crisp vegetables and some sort of salmon steak. It smelled delicious, and Lotor hoped his nerves would allow him to keep it all down.

“Your medical records indicate that you don’t have any food allergies or intolerances,” Sendak said, elegantly cutting off a slice of salmon with the edge of his fork, “so I won’t instruct my staff to change the way they cook and conduct mealtimes. I expect that this is agreeable to you.” It wasn’t a question.

Still, after a childhood kept on a strict diet – sometimes practically a starvation diet, because it wouldn’t do for Senator Zarkon to have a portly son, his mother had explained – Lotor was never one to complain about the food put in front of him. “It smells delicious,” he said in response, and took a bite.

It tasted as delicious as it smelled.

“Good,” Sendak said, inclining his head. “So. You’re clear on the rules of our arrangement?”

It wasn’t like they were particularly complicated. “I live with you, obey you, and provide you company. In return, you pay for my living and fund my schooling,” Lotor said, fighting the urge to raise a disdainful eyebrow.

“I need to be sure,” Sendak rumbled. “You hesitated when I instructed you to undress. It will not happen again.”

Lotor tensed, but nodded. “Forgive me. I was merely surprised with the suddenness of your command.”

Sendak leveled a cool stare at Lotor. “I pay for quality,” he said calmly. “In your situation, the money I’m about to sink into your care and college buys your willingness to do exactly as I command, when I command it, whether you expect the order or not. Do you understand?”

_Yes, Christian Grey,_ Lotor was tempted to respond. “I understand,” he said aloud.

The rest of the meal passed in silence.

Lotor’s nerves returned in full force as Sendak took the last bite of his asparagus. He himself had been forced to stop a little over halfway through the meal, nervousness eclipsing any semblance of hunger. Sendak had said he would give Lotor the day to settle in, and didn’t expect any favors until the night.

The day was over, and night had arrived.

This was ridiculous. The thought of sex had never repulsed Lotor, even though it had never appealed to him either. It could even be interesting in the abstract, the way various cultures viewed sex, ranging from the ultimate taboo to something to be celebrated.

But now that he was (possibly) about to have it, his stomach churned with dread.

Sendak cleared his throat. “I often have a drink in the evening, before I retire,” he said, extending a hand to Lotor. Lotor took it, and allowed Sendak to help him to his feet. “Lately, though, I grow weary of drinking alone. You will join me.”

Lotor’s lips twisted downwards. “I’m not of age,” he pointed out.

“You’re twenty, which is close enough. And I’m the CEO of Inferno Technology Development Corp. You can’t possibly think I’d get in trouble for facilitating underage drinking.”

He had a point there, Lotor had to admit. Besides, maybe a drink would calm his nerves and make the prospect of submitting to Sendak’s carnal urges less revolting.

Lotor followed Sendak through several rooms, ending up in a small, comfortable library. A large crystal decanter of no-doubt appallingly expensive liquor rested on a tray atop a ornately carved end-table situated between two plush chairs. Lotor followed Sendak, his bare feet welcoming the change from hard marble as they crossed a large oriental carpet, and sat obediently when indicated. Sendak selected two crystal tumblers and poured a generous helping of liquor into each. Lotor fought to keep from wrinkling his nose as he accepted his glass from Sendak, the smell of alcohol burning his sensitive nose.

Sendak took a sip of his drink and eyed Lotor. “So,” he began. “It’s been quite some time since we’ve seen each other.”

He wasn’t wrong. Lotor hadn’t appeared at a single formal event since he began high school, and the last time he remembered his father having Sendak over personally, he’d been sixteen. “It has,” he said neutrally. Sixteen years old, sitting silent and still and collected as he’d been taught, listening to his father and Sendak talk politics with a polite, interested ear. As far as he recalled, Sendak hadn’t so much as acknowledged his presence that entire night, and by then Lotor knew better than to speak in front of his father’s company unless directly addressed.

He took a small sip of his drink and wrinkled his nose. Whatever this was, it was clearly an acquired taste. Still, Sendak had specifically said he didn’t want to drink alone, so he sipped dutifully, watching the man with a wary gaze.

“I’ll admit, when I tracked you down, I was surprised by your lifestyle,” Sendak said. Lotor opened his mouth to respond, and Sendak held up a hand, cutting him off. “Yes, I know your father cut you off; I didn’t expect you to be living in the lap of luxury. I only meant I was surprised by the rather criminal company you keep.”

Lotor bristled inwardly, and took another sip of the strong drink while he formulated his response. “It’s true that my friends don’t always err on the side of the law,” he admitted. “But they do what they must to survive. None of them came from a position of having wealthy fathers to be cut off from in the first place.”

“I’m aware. I had my people perform background checks,” Sendak said. “One little girl raised by a single mother with whom she has minimal contact, working a deadbeat job. One abandoned little thief whose own workplace hasn’t realized she’s the reason loss prevention numbers in their store are so poor. One ex-gangbanger with multiple dropped charges for assault and attempted murder. And one welfare-rat whose use to society is minimal, at best. Did I get anything wrong?”

Lotor could tolerate the other uncharitable descriptions of his friends, but anger seized in him at Sendak’s description of Narti. Carefully, he set his nearly-full glass down and glared at Sendak. “Don’t speak of Narti that way,” he said coldly.

Sendak raised his eyebrows and sipped his drink. “Was I inaccurate?” he asked mildly.

“Narti _can’t_ work,” Lotor hissed. “Not consistently, and _still_ she takes the energy and abilities she has to volunteer regularly. She is far from _useless,_ if for no other reason than she cares for her cat and those of us who know her find her presence delightful.”

Sendak sighed. “I’m sure you think I’m just cruelly insulting your friends,” he said. “I’m not. But I _will_ express my dislike for them. I won’t try to force you to be a different person than you are, the way your father did, but I’ll be upfront that I don’t like you spending time with people like that.”

Lotor raised his chin and eyed Sendak. Acxa’s reminder that he could always return to her apartment sounded loudly in his head. If Sendak tried to force him to stop seeing his friends, he’d call off the arrangement immediately.

“Don’t look so morose,” Sendak said. He tilted his glass back and drained it in one gulp. “Finish your drink,” he ordered, nodding at Lotor’s glass, barely touched.

Lotor grimaced, but he tilted his head back obediently and forced himself to swallow the rest of the drink. His throat burned, and his stomach roiled in protest; he swallowed rapidly a few times, just to be sure the drink wouldn’t come right back up.

“Good,” Sendak said, nodding in approval. “Now come with me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you guys enjoyed it! Feedback gives me life, so if you feel so inclined, please leave a comment!
> 
> I hope the pacing is okay - my main project over the last year has been a soft, very consensual, and positively glacial burn, so this is a big change of tone, writing-wise. I hope it reads as realistic!


	3. Nothing Appealing About Giving Head

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lotor begins his sexual relationship with Sendak.

“I suppose I ought to let you know,” Lotor began tentatively as Sendak closed the bedroom door behind them, “I’ve never done anything of this nature before.”

Sendak offered Lotor an amused look. “What, been with another man?” he asked.

The burn of alcohol flowing through him helped Lotor keep his shoulders loose, keep the tension he felt from becoming too obvious in his face and his frame. “Nothing sexual at all, with another person,” he said. He’d been kissed once, during his freshman year. He didn’t get the appeal. It was awkward, and too-intimate, and the girl had slobbered all over him trying to get him to open his mouth for her tongue. Not a particularly unpleasant experience, but certainly not something he’d repeat out of interest in the act.

He wondered if Sendak would want to kiss him. He hoped not.

“That surprises me,” Sendak said. Lotor held perfectly still as Sendak stepped into his space, reaching out with his flesh hand to caress Lotor’s face. Lotor didn’t move as Sendak trailed his fingertips over Lotor’s jawline. “You’re beautiful. I would have thought you’d have any number of potential partners flinging themselves at you.”

Only a few that had made themselves obvious, and Lotor had politely but firmly turned them all down.

“That’s fine,” Sendak said. “It’s good to know – I won’t expect you to know what you’re doing. For now, get on your knees.”

On the floor? Okay, Lotor could guess what Sendak wanted. His stomach churned, and he was glad he hadn’t finished his meal. He lowered himself carefully, the robe pooling around his legs. From this angle, Sendak practically towered over him, an odd picture as he leered down with his good eye, his glass eye remaining oddly motionless and continuing to stare forward.

An odd, displaced part of Lotor wondered how on Earth Sendak managed to maintain his driver’s license.

Lotor watched with trepidation as Sendak reached for his belt, unbuckling it with a decisive snick. The man unzipped his pants and allowed them to fall to the floor, then pulled down his designer boxers, and Lotor suddenly found himself, for the first time, at eye level with another man’s cock.

It was probably a very nice cock. Both longer and thicker than Lotor’s own, cut, heavy with arousal. That was supposed to be appealing, right? He’d ask Ezor later, maybe – she had experience with both sets of genitals, after all. Maybe she could explain the appeal.

Tentatively, Lotor reached out to touch, brushing his fingertips over the almost alarmingly hot flesh. Sendak let out a breathy sigh, and Lotor drew back, suddenly uncertain.

“You had the right idea,” Sendak said breathlessly, staring down at Lotor. “Keep going.”

Lotor swallowed hard as he reached out to wrap his hand firmly around Sendak’s cock. Sendak’s breath hitched as Lotor stroked his hand up, allowing his thumb to caress over the head before stroking downwards again. It wasn’t so different from taking care of his own physical needs, he thought idly. He didn’t masturbate often – and when he did, it was a clinical process, relieving an irritating urge that he’d neither asked for nor wanted. He could approach taking care of Sendak the same way.

“Good boy,” Sendak praised, his breath picking up as Lotor fell into a rhythm. “A bit faster – good.”

Okay, he could do this. He concentrated on keeping the pace even, his eyes narrowed with determination. It really wasn’t so bad – perhaps even less irritating than keeping pace at the coffee shop. At least now, he only had to worry about pleasing one person.

“Enough,” Sendak panted after several minutes. Lotor froze, and pulled his hand back. “I want your mouth.”

Ah. Of course he did.

Lotor opened his mouth with no small amount of trepidation, his eyes narrowed as he tried to figure out what next. He was pretty sure he could fit at least part of Sendak’s dick in his mouth, but there was no way it was all going to fit without going into his throat, and he honestly wasn’t certain he could handle that. He’d never exactly had occasion to put his gag reflex to such a test.

Sendak made a noise of impatience, which was all the warning Lotor had before Sendak fisted a hand in his hair and dragged him forward. Lotor let out a startled cry as Sendak shoved his cockhead into Lotor’s mouth. “Mind the teeth,” Sendak ordered breathlessly. “Cover them with your lips.”

Obediently, Lotor tucked his lips over his teeth, grimacing at the taste of precome that dripped onto his tongue. He reached out with one hand to grip Sendak’s hip, steadying himself. What next? You were supposed to suck it, right?

Sendak muttered something and slid further into Lotor’s mouth. “Use your tongue,” he panted, and oh, that made sense. Ignoring the foul taste, Lotor ran his tongue experimentally over Sendak’s cockhead, twining the muscle up and down the part of the shaft he could reach. Experimentally, he hollowed his cheeks, sucking lightly, and Sendak released a breathy moan.

Okay, he was pretty sure he had the basics down. Probably. Hopefully Sendak wouldn’t last long.

Lotor brought his free hand up to wrap around the base of Sendak’s cock, resulting in a pleased hum from the man. He slid his mouth farther down Sendak’s cock, as far as he dared, wary of gagging. Sendak’s grip on his hair tightened, at that, which Lotor took to mean he’d done something right. He continued to suck, laving his tongue over Sendak’s cockhead and shaft. If he ignored the taste of precome, it really wasn’t that bad. He highly doubted oral sex would ever make his list of favorite activities, but it wasn’t nearly as unpleasant as he feared it would be.

Sendak’s cock pulsed in his mouth, the only warning Lotor received before Sendak came with a loud moan, his hand tightening in Lotor’s hair. Instinctively, Lotor attempted to draw back as the foul-tasting liquid flooded his mouth, but Sendak’s iron fingers kept him firmly in place, forcing him to hold Sendak’s cock in his mouth.

Gagging, Lotor forced himself to swallow, to get that disgusting liquid out of his mouth and off his tongue. There were honestly people who _liked_ this taste? As soon as Sendak released his hair, Lotor pulled away, hacking and sputtering.

“Not too bad for your first time,” Sendak said, panting. “You’ll get better.”

Slowly, cautiously, Lotor climbed to his feet. Sendak didn’t make a move to stop him. “Is that… All you wanted tonight?” he asked carefully.

Sendak chuckled. “I won’t put you through your paces just yet,” he said. “There’s a toothbrush for you in the bathroom,” he added.

Thank _god._ Lotor was going to have to scrub his tongue for at _least_ five minutes to get the taste out of his mouth, he was certain.

He took the opportunity to scrub his teeth and do his business. Lotor exited the bathroom, to the sight of Sendak disconnecting his prosthetic arm. Shirtless, Sendak unbuckled the straps with practiced ease. He set his arm down on the bedside table, then picked up a bottle of solution, which he dripped over his prosthetic eye. Lotor watched with morbid fascination.

“You can get in the bed,” Sendak called without turning to look at him. “I won’t be long.”

Hesitantly, Lotor padded across the room. He drew back the covers, crawling into bed, soft sheets catching on his robe as he settled into a comfortable position, staring out at the window. The sky was just beginning to fully darken, the sun setting late in the summer sky.

The mattress dipped only a few minutes later, and Sendak settled beneath the sheets next to Lotor. Lotor stiffened as Sendak wrapped his arm around him, drawing his back close to his chest. “I have an early morning tomorrow,” Sendak murmured, his hot breath slimy as it ghosted over Lotor’s ear. “You may sleep in. I expect you up by noon, though, to accept Morvok’s first clothing delivery. I assume you don’t want to wear my robe forever.”

The idea of clothes – real clothing – was certainly appealing. “I’ll be up,” Lotor said softly, his stomach churning as Sendak nuzzled the back of his neck.

“Good,” Sendak said, sickeningly warm air puffing against Lotor’s neck. He tightened his grip, and Lotor took the hint, forcing himself to relax into Sendak’s grip.

Sleep was a long time coming.

* * *

_Ezor: soooooo how was it_

_Ezor: lotor_

_Ezor: lemme guess the guy has a limp dick and ur his alibi. its ok we wont tell anyone his junk doesnt work_

_Zethrid: Babe i’m begging you, stop talking about dick_

_Acxa: Lotor, please confirm he hasn’t turned you into a skin suit yet_

_Narti: What happened to limiting the group-chat hours between ten and ten? My ears still work, unfortunately._

Lotor groaned as he read through the messages in the group chat. Ezor, especially, he didn’t particularly want to answer. He’d woken briefly when Sendak got up, but had easily fallen back to sleep. Now, however, he was unfortunately awake, two hours before Morvok’s anticipated arrival.

Might as well reassure his friends he was alive and well.

_Lotor: There is absolutely nothing appealing about giving head, and I will stand by that until my dying day._

The chat immediately exploded, several responses coming in at once.

_Acxa: ARE YOU OKAY?!_

_Zethrid: Yeah, eating out is better <3_

_Ezor: Need tips?_

At least Narti wasn’t judging him.

Lotor scowled before messaging his friends again.

_Lotor: Clearly I’m fine. You don’t need to worry about me._

He’d barely sent the message when skype activated, indicating a video-call. Lotor sighed, but accepted, resigned to his fate.

_“Heeeey Lotor!”_ Ezor crowed, grinning at him smugly, tossing her bright-orange ponytail back over her shoulder. Narti sat next to her, her hijab slightly askew as though she’d pulled it on and fastened it hastily. Ezor had probably started this call without conferring with her roommate, then. _“Look at you, branching out and becoming a sugar-baby! Bucking the rules and acting out! Dare I say it, but_ ONE OF US!”

Narti smacked her shoulder lightly before raising her hands to sign within view of the camera. _“It came as a surprise to all of us, and Acxa’s anxious. Are you sure you’re all right?”_ she asked, her fingers flying, words barely inhibited by onscreen lag.

Lotor snorted. “I’m fine, but I appreciate the concern,” he said. “I still don’t see the appeal of sex, but it pays a lot better than working in a coffee shop.”

_“Hells yeah,”_ Ezor said cheerfully. _“Get the wham, bam, thank you ma’am – or thank you sir, I guess,”_ she added.

Lotor cleared his throat. “Yes, well,” he said awkwardly. “I personally don’t see the appeal, you know that.”

Ezor waved a dismissive hand. _“Yeah, yeah,”_ she said. _“So is it true what they say about the big powerful business types? That they act all powerful all day but come home and want to get smacked around and treated like a bitch?”_

“You’re so vulgar,” Lotor replied, scowling. “For the record, all I did was blow him, but he doesn’t seem the type to be submissive in bed, from what I can tell.”

_“Boo, it would’ve been really funny if he was,”_ Ezor said. _“Anyways, Zethrid’s not gonna be here ‘cause her shift starts in like ten minutes, but Acxa’s gonna let herself in any second now.”_

_“She seems convinced this man is some sort of serial killer,”_ Narti said. _“Maybe she’ll calm down once she’s made sure you’re okay herself.”_

As if on cue, the door to Ezor’s and Narti’s apartment slammed in the background, and Acxa strode into view. _“You started the call without me?”_ she demanded.

_“Uh, yeah,”_ Ezor retorted. _“Had to get the gory details before you showed up all worried and mother-hen-like.”_

Acxa scowled, though some of the tension left her face as she turned towards the screen. _“Okay, fine, he hasn’t turned you into a skin-suit yet,”_ she begrudgingly admitted. _“And you said you’re okay.”_

Lotor rolled his eyes. “It’s just a job, Acxa,” he said. “I’m fine. Truly, the most unpleasant part of this experience so far has been dealing with his tailor, but apparently I’ll be getting new clothing out of that, so I can hardly complain.”

_“Yeah, what’s with the robe?”_ Ezor asked. _“He’s got you wearing stuff with his initials on it? Kinky.”_

_“Can we not?”_ Narti asked. Her cat, Kova, leapt onto her shoulder, and she paused to pet him before continuing. _“Lotor’s right – it’s just a job. Let’s not make things weird.”_

Thank you, Narti, for always being the sensible friend. “Have I told you how much I love and appreciate you, Narti?” Lotor asked dryly.

_“Not nearly enough. You think this is bad, you don’t want to experience Ezor truly uncensored.”_

_“I resent that!”_ Ezor protested.

He spent the next half-an-hour chatting with his friends before they ended the call so Ezor could get ready for her shift. She promised to text him pictures of her day’s haul, and Lotor rolled his eyes in response. Just because their friend group relied in some part on Ezor’s clever fingers and underhanded fencing operations didn’t mean that he had to encourage her.

…Okay, when he thought of it that way, he could understand why a man such as Sendak, tied to his company and in the business of ensuring maximum profits and minimal losses, would dislike his friends.

Morvok’s presence was irritating, but it was a relief to receive his new clothing. Morvok warned that he would be by regularly in the next few weeks to populate the extensive wardrobe Sendak had ordered for him, but Lotor was just glad to escape the robe, replacing it with sensible black slacks and a soft blue dress shirt.

The rest of the day passed easily. Later in the afternoon, one of the household staff summoned Lotor to the living room, where a technician waited, having been called in to transfer Lotor’s files from his old cell phone and laptop to brand new ones, high-end technology of the latest models. It made sense, really, that Sendak would want his – not partner, but Lotor hated to apply the term “sugar baby” to himself – his _companion_ with the latest electronics. Men like Sendak were all about appearances, and now that Lotor was associated with him, he was part of that appearance.

It still sat uneasily with him, when neither the phone nor the laptop allowed him to set up any sort of passcode. Apparently Sendak was the type to pry.

Lotor had always preferred to be a private person, but he supposed that in Sendak’s trade, paranoia was to be expected. It wasn’t as though he used the internet for anything untoward, and while he’d rather Sendak not have access to his messages, it wasn’t as though they generally contained anything incriminating.

(He still texted Ezor, asking her to not send any pictures of her shoplifting haul, then erased the message from his phone.)

* * *

Sendak arrived home late in the evening, a scowl affixed to his face. “Lotor,” he greeted, inclining his head.

Lotor had set himself up in the living room, having selected a book from Sendak’s library. His phone could only amuse him for so long, and Sendak did have quite the collection. “Sendak,” he said, closing the book and rising. “You’ve had a long day,” he deduced. From the hair in disarray to the tension in Sendak’s shoulders, everything about him screamed that he was stressed.

Sendak grunted an affirmative. “Have you eaten?” he asked abruptly.

“I had lunch after Morvok left,” Lotor offered. “I believe the cook was waiting until you returned to serve dinner.”

Sendak’s gaze focused in on Lotor at the mention of Morvok. “That outfit suits you,” he said. “You look much better in quality clothing than in the rags you wore when you came here.”

Lotor didn’t bother voicing his thoughts – his previous clothing had been perfectly adequate, even stellar for thrift store finds. “Should we let your staff know you’ve arrived home?” he asked.

“They know,” Sendak said evenly. “The garage has an alert system.”

“I see,” Lotor said.

Sendak sighed. “Come on. I expect dinner will be called any moment. We may as well sit down,” he said.

Lotor complied, following Sendak to the dining nook where they’d eaten before. It wasn’t long before food was served, and Lotor was content to eat quietly as Sendak complained about his day. Apparently, Warlord Holdings, Inc. was sniffing around one of Inferno Technology’s long-held contracts. Lotor was vaguely familiar with the company, or at least its CEO; Ranveig Conant, who he vaguely recognized as one of his father’s more minor political supporters.

Eventually, Sendak ran out of things to say, and turned the topic of conversation towards Lotor. “So, Morvok delivered the first batch of clothing, as requested,” he said. “And did the technician come out to update your electronics?”

Lotor swallowed his mouthful of frankly delicious stuffed-pepper and nodded. “She did,” he confirmed.

“Good,” Sendak said. “And I see you decided to raid my library.”

Lotor stiffened slightly. “Is that not allowed?” he asked carefully. Sendak hadn’t given him any restrictions on accessing different rooms of the house, but perhaps he shouldn’t have presumed. Goodness knows, there’d been hell to pay the few times he’d accessed restricted sections of his father’s house.

“No. Where would you get that idea?” Sendak asked. “As long as you’re careful with my things and stay off my computer, I don’t care what you do when I’m gone.”

Well, that was somewhat of a relief. “I understand,” Lotor said, inclining his head.

Finished with his meal, Sendak rose. Lotor had a few bites left on his plate, but he elected to ignore them, assuming that if Sendak was finished, the meal was over. Much like the night before, they took a brief rest in the library over drinks, though this time Sendak left Lotor to his own devices, instead pulling out a phone and tapping away furiously. Probably his business cellphone, and he was attempting to fix whatever mess was left at work.

Lotor, for his part, resumed his read-through of _The Bloody Chamber,_ content to sip his drink in silence. It still tasted foul, in his opinion, but if Sendak expected them to drink together regularly, he expected he would become used to it.

They finished their drinks, and Sendak once again beckoned for Lotor to follow him back to the bedroom. That evening found Lotor in much the same position as the night before – on his knees, with Sendak’s cock in his mouth as he sucked and licked, attempting to bring the man to completion as quickly as possible.

This time though, Sendak didn’t come in his mouth. Instead, he tightened his hand in Lotor’s hair and yanked his head back, exposing the long line of his throat. “Finish me off with your hand,” he rasped as Lotor spluttered, confused.

If he finished Sendak off like this, his ejaculate would –

Ah. Sendak wanted to finish on his face.

It was with trembling fingers that Lotor took Sendak in hand. Only a few strokes were needed, and Sendak came with a shout, his spend landing hot and sticky on Lotor’s face, clumping around his eyelashes, pooling in his hair.

Lotor didn’t dare open his eyes, for fear that the ejaculate would trickle into them.

“Exquisite,” Sendak breathed. His cool prosthetic hand wrapped around Lotor’s arm – just a hair too tight, but Lotor doubted the device’s motor control was on par with living flesh – and he tugged, helping Lotor to his feet. “Come – let’s get you in the shower, wash the cum off your face.”

His eyes still closed, Lotor staggered after Sendak. He allowed the other man to help him undress, then guide him into the shower – which was, apparently, separate from the bathtub. As soon as the water turned on, he turned his face under the spray, scrubbing the ejaculate from his skin and cautiously opening his eyes.

It didn’t surprise him when Sendak entered the shower behind him, but since the man seemed content to keep his hand to himself, Lotor hardly minded. He washed quickly, scrubbing the cum from his hair and making liberal use of Sendak’s high-end conditioner. He had to admit, it was a welcome change from the two-for-one combined shampoo and conditioner he’d been using, which had left his hair increasingly dry and brittle.

Clean – and, if he was entirely honest, more than ready for sleep – Lotor exited the shower and made a beeline for the sink just as soon as he’d wrapped a towel around his waist. Water dripped from his hair across his back and shoulders, and he resolved to ask Sendak for a second towel in the future, to wrap his hair in.

He brushed his teeth, then exited the bathroom and made his way towards the closet where Morvok had hung his new clothing. He selected a pair of silk pajamas – and it was still odd, to think that Sendak insisted that even his pajamas should be tailored – and switched the towel to his hair, allowing the cloth to soak up the excess moisture.

Sendak had exited the shower by the time Lotor re-entered the bathroom to hang up his towel, and Lotor was greeted with the unasked for sight of Sendak’s flaccid penis, proudly on display as he went about his business naked. Lotor forced himself to look away, and instead his eyes lit on what remained of Sendak’s left arm.

There was a story there, he was sure. As long as he could remember, Sendak had worn a prosthetic left arm and a glass right eye. Had he been injured in combat? Lotor was pretty sure Sendak had a military background.

“It’s rude to stare.” Lotor jumped, startled from his thoughts, and turned wide eyes to Sendak. “I’d think you’d know that, with all that time you spend around that disabled girl.”

“I apologize,” Lotor said meekly. “I simply realized I don’t know how you lost your arm and eye.”

Sendak sighed. “It’s nothing glamorous. I was fielding a prototype weapon during a test, and it malfunctioned violently,” he said flatly. “I was discharged from the military, and when I returned home, Haxus had already developed a proposal for a weapons development company that focused on quality and safety.” His hand clenched, and Lotor couldn’t help but feel a stab of pity. Sendak was such an intimidating figure, it was easy to forget that he must have truly cared for his husband. “It served us well. Inferno Technology has been a shining star in the defense contracting world since we won our first contract – being injured was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“I see,” Lotor said quietly.

Sendak was silent for a long moment. “You should get to bed,” he said finally. “I’ll join you in a little while.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so the sexual manipulation begins. I considered having this chapter tagged as dub-con, but considering the circumstances of the arrangement, I'd still solidly classify this and all other sexual encounters between Sendak and Lotor as full-out non-con, even though Lotor has convinced himself he's willing. Consent isn't possible if you don't feel you have another choice, or the ability to say no. The group chat has no idea the depths of Lotor's reluctance, or they'd be a lot more concerned.
> 
> I've been told that the best way to write sign language is to use normal quotation marks and treat it like any other dialogue; I hope that is correct! If any of my readers sign, I welcome feedback on how to portray that properly.
> 
> Unrelated to the fic, who else was physically killed by season 8?! My thoughts are complicated, but overall, damn, what the HECK. Too many emotions.


	4. Visits to Friends and What They Cost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After over a week living with Sendak, Lotor is bored. Sendak allows Lotor to take a car and go visit his friends, but he wants something in return.
> 
> It's possible that Lotor is in over his head.

As impressive as Sendak’s home was, after a week, Lotor couldn’t help but feel a little bored and lonely.

He was used to seeing at least some of his friends at least daily. Even before he’d moved in with Acxa, Ezor was always setting up some sort of hangout, or dragging them to some event. Locked away in Sendak’s manor, Lotor couldn’t help but feel isolated, even as he kept up with the group chat and endured Ezor’s regular skype calls.

He saw Sendak primarily in the evenings, and their routine was simple; they ate dinner, they withdrew to the library for drinks, and Lotor sucked his cock before they showered and retired to bed. It was hardly engaging, and what with Ranveig’s encroachment on Inferno Technology’s contract, Sendak wasn’t even around during the day on weekends.

A week and a half had passed before Lotor found the opportunity to approach Sendak. “Is there any chance you’d allow me to borrow one of your cars?” he asked bluntly, having caught Sendak in the kitchen using the Keurig to fill his travel mug.

Sendak raised an eyebrow. “For what?” he asked.

He’d have to tread lightly. “I know you don’t necessarily approve of my friends,” he began cautiously, “but it’s been well over a week since I’ve seen any of them. I promise I won’t use your car for any illicit activities, but I would greatly like to see my friends.”

Sendak was silent for a long moment, long enough that Lotor expected him to refuse. “I’ll let you use the Maserati on one condition,” he said finally. “Your mouth is starting to get dull. You can borrow the car, if you let me have your ass tonight.”

Lotor went cold. He’d known this would happen, he reminded himself. Eventually, Sendak wouldn’t be satisfied with just blowjobs. He’d want to get everything he was paying for, he’d expect Lotor to spread himself on his bed and _take_ it.

It was going to happen eventually anyways. He might as well get something out of it. “I can agree to that,” Lotor said cautiously, refusing to let trepidation seep into his words.

Sendak grunted. “Keys are hanging in the garage, labeled. You’ve got permission for the Maserati, not any of the others. I expect you back by eight – seven, if you want dinner.”

It wouldn’t allow for any of Ezor’s beloved late-night clubbing escapades, but in all honesty, Lotor hardly missed those. “Thank you,” he said.

“Just don’t do anything that would reflect badly on me, or I’ll take it out of your hide.” The Keurig finished trickling coffee into Sendak’s mug, and he capped the receptacle. “I’ll see you in the evening.”

Lotor grinned and withdrew his phone from his pocket, pulling up the group chat.

_Lotor: I’m available to hang out until 6 or so. Anyone free?_

Being that it was barely eight in the morning, he wasn’t surprised that the responses trickled in sluggishly.

_Narti: WHAT HAPPENED TO 10 AT THE EARLIEST WHOEVER SENT THIS I WILL GUT YOU_

_Zethrid: Get your ass into town kid! We missed you! My place asap_

_Acxa: I have a shift but it ends at 3, don’t leave before I see you_

_Ezor: awwww heck yeah! just switched shifts with a newbie so nbd lets hang_

_Narti: I will end all of you if you don’t shut up blind assassin is a trope for a reason_

Lotor snorted, and made his way towards the garage. He located the keys to the Maserati and made his way towards the car. God, he’d missed his friends.

* * *

He had barely even knocked on Zethrid’s door before she wrenched it open and dragged him into her apartment, strong arms wrapping around him in a crushing grip. “Hey, sugar-boy,” she teased as she dragged him inside, kicking the door shut. “Ezor and Narti will be here in a bit. We’ve missed you, you swanky fuck!”

“Do I count as swanky if I’m sucking dick to maintain my monetary status?” Lotor inquired dryly, raising his eyebrows.

Zethrid snorted and released him. “Guess not,” she said. “Man, how the mighty fall. Senator Zarkon’s son, doing sex shit to go to college and have a roof over his head. You’re practically a real person now!” She punched him lightly, grinning.

“It’s not like my father’s job ever gave me anything but trouble,” Lotor pointed out. “Even at school, I have to use a fake name to keep from being a target.”

“Yeah, and that was like super weird. This just makes you a normal person,” Zethrid proclaimed. “Though I’ve gotta say, didn’t see the whole sugar daddy thing coming. I thought you and Acxa bonded over that ace shit.”

Lotor rolled his eyes. “We did,” he said patiently. It had been his introduction to this group, after all – he and Acxa had originally met at last year’s Pride, when they’d bonded over their shared asexuality. “I’m just personally not repulsed by sexual acts. The more I engage with sex, the less I understand the appeal – but it’s still on par with working in the coffee shop, selling my body to make lattes.”

Zethrid chuckled. “Dude, no judgement here,” she said. “I’ve known Acxa for a while, I’ve heard all the explanations – attraction isn’t action, whatever. Still, kinda weird to think about you snagging a sugar daddy – no offense.”

Lotor rolled his eyes. “It’s convenient,” he said. “It’s not like he’s asked for anything particularly weird, or even time consuming. I spend more time eating dinner and drinking with him than I do engaging in sexual activity.”

“I’ll bet he gets the nice booze too,” Zethrid said, sighing wistfully.

“It tastes terrible,” Lotor admitted.

Zethrid snorted. “Okay, prude,” she teased.

Someone rapped on the door precisely three times, and before either of them could move to answer, the door swung open. “What is _up,_ people!” Ezor cheered, shoving into the apartment and pushing Lotor out of the way so she could rise onto her toes and drag Zethrid down into a passionate kiss.

Lotor rolled his eyes and turned away, coming face-to-face with Narti. “It’s good to see you again,” he said.

Narti shut the door and settled her cane against the wall before responding. “I’d say the same, except well, you know,” she said, fingers flying rapidly. “I’m glad you visited. It’s not the same without you around. Don’t tell her I told you, but even Ezor’s been getting antsy.”

“Did I just see my name?” Ezor demanded, apparently having separated her lips from Zethrid’s – a near record of swiftness, in terms of their “hello” kisses. “Hey, no gossiping about me while I’m in the room!”

“I’m not gossiping. I’m complaining. There’s a difference.”

“Okay,” Zethrid said loudly. “Let’s move this freakin’ clown parade into the living room, yeah? Everyone, the usual drinks?”

Lotor and Ezor both agreed enthusiastically, and Narti offered a thumb’s-up. They made their way from the tiny foyer into the living room, and Zethrid returned almost instantly with drinks – Gatorade for herself, ginger ale for Lotor, and diet coke for Ezor and Narti alike.

To Lotor’s relief, his friends seemed to have gotten most of their teasing out over the phone. Zethrid put one of their mutually-loved shows on as background noise, and for the most part they were content to shoot-the-shit, catching up with each other and devolving into random tangents of discussion. Lotor assured his friends that he’d be around more when fall semester started, Narti regaled them with stories of the six-week-old litter of kittens that had been dropped off at the shelter where she volunteered, Ezor caught Lotor up on pictures of her lifting hauls, and Zethrid interjected at will, mostly to make smart comments to Ezor’s detriment.

It seemed no time had passed at all before another knock at the door interrupted their conversation. Netflix had long since paused and returned to the main screen, their investment in the show falling aside in lieu of conversation. “Three-thirty – that’s gotta be Acxa,” Zethrid said, rising from the couch to answer the door.

“Hey, Acxa!” Zethrid said cheerfully.

“Hey yourself,” Acxa said, brushing past her and into the living room.

“Mother-hen arrives!” Ezor crowed cheerfully.

“Just because you keep calling me that, I’ll live up to it.” Acxa planted herself squarely in front of Lotor, who blinked, tilting his head to meet her eyes. Even with her standing while he sat, her diminutive stature meant that he hardly had to crane his neck. “You’re alive, well, and safe,” she said. “And he hasn’t made you do anything you’re not comfortable with.”

“Yes, _mom_ ,” Lotor said agreeably. (Even though Acxa was younger than him, and even though he still wasn’t entirely comfortable with sex.)

“Just humor me,” Acxa said dryly. “If my worst quality is worrying too much about my friends, then I’ll take it.”

Lotor rolled his eyes. “I’ll admit, I’ve never been less interested in sex in my life, and that’s saying something – but it’s still just a job. Are you reassured?”

Acxa scowled. “No, but I’ll drop the subject,” she said, making her way to Zethrid’s collapsible chair and swiping laundry off it to free up a place to sit. “Doctor Who? We’re watching that?”

“Well, we were until we got to talking,” Zethrid said.

The next hour-and-a-half flew by, and it was with great reluctance that Lotor extricated himself from his friends when his phone chimed 6pm. “I really do have to go,” he said, even as Ezor and Acxa protested. “Dinner is at seven, and I’d like to leave a generous margin of error to ensure I return on time.”

Acxa scowled. “We could feed you,” he said.

“I don’t want you to feel obligated,” Lotor said firmly. “In any case, Sendak isn’t fond of me spending time with the lot of you. I’d rather err on the side of caution regarding the timelines he gives me, so he doesn’t feel the need to prevent me from borrowing the car again.”

It was the wrong thing to say, he realized almost immediately. Acxa went rigid, Zethrid and Narti tensed, and even Ezor frowned, discontent.

“Would he stop you from seeing us?” Acxa asked cautiously.

Lotor exhaled. “No,” he said. “I wouldn’t let him. Any attempt to keep me from contacting you all – I’d end the arrangement immediately.” He’d hate it. Sendak truly was his best chance to keep his college career. Still, he wouldn’t let anyone have control over him to such an extent – even if that meant he had to drop out of college and work menial jobs until he could secure a loan and start his schooling again.

It was a last resort, and one he never planned to reach. Lotor plastered on a smile. “Look, he’s entrusting me with his car, and wants me back by a certain time. That’s all. If he meant to keep me from seeing you, he’d never have let me take it in the first place, all right? Don’t make this something more serious than it is.”

“Okay,” Zethrid said slowly, “but still. Don’t let this guy control your comings and goings too much.”

“I think he’s controlling his cumming,” Ezor muttered, and was rewarded with a sharp smack upside the head from Narti.

“I’m simply trying to be respectful,” Lotor said with a sigh. “He let me borrow his car, so I can at least keep with his timelines.”

His friends seemed at least somewhat pacified, save for Acxa. Lotor bade them farewell and made his way to the car, determinedly ignoring the lonely ache that tugged in his chest as he left his friends behind and drove back to Sendak’s lofty, cold manor.

* * *

He arrived back at the estate well before seven – with time, in fact, to shower and change his clothes.

Were it not for Sendak’s stipulations on his visit, he’d have waited to shower. As it was, Lotor would be the first to admit that he didn’t know anything about anal sex. The few things he did know suggested that he should clean himself, and a shower seemed like the bare minimum. He scrubbed thoroughly, taking care to fastidiously clean between his legs. Hopefully it would be sufficient; he had to admit that his pride was on the line. It was one thing for Sendak to coach him through oral sex. It would be horrifically embarrassing if Sendak chose to take him, only to encounter a disgusting mess.

Scrubbed clean, Lotor dressed once again in slacks and a dress shirt. To his mild surprise, he was summoned for dinner alone, then directed to the library. Perhaps Sendak had been required to stay late at work.

Even without Sendak to pour a drink, Lotor found himself drawn to the decanter. He hesitated, then poured himself a generous measure of what he’d come to learn was scotch. Sendak could chastise him later, if he wished for Lotor to refrain from drinking without him.

Lotor had finished his drink and was contemplating a second when a member of the staff came to summon him to Sendak’s room.

He crossed the threshold hesitantly, his gaze fixed on Sendak’s powerful back. Sendak had shed his suit coat, and stood eerily still in the room, clad in his dress shirt and slacks. “Sendak?” He asked carefully, taking a small step towards him.

Sendak turned to face him, his organic eye glittering with something dark. “Lotor,” he breathed. “Undress and get on the bed.”

Lotor swallowed hard. He was used to simply sinking to his knees, fully clothed. He was getting used to swallowing Sendak down – he’d even begun to try to reduce his gag reflex – to bring the man to completion. This was something entirely different. He’d known Sendak wanted his ass, but this was a new level of vulnerability.

One that couldn’t be helped. Shakily, Lotor unbuttoned his shirt and cast it aside. He made quick work of his slacks, pulling them down with his boxers in one fluid move. As an afterthought, he removed his socks and cast them aside.

Entirely naked and vulnerable to Sendak’s gaze, he made his way to the bed and spread out on his stomach, awkward and self-conscious. He folded his arms beneath his head and reminded himself to breathe, his heart hammering wildly in his chest, his stomach twisting with dread.

“Beautiful,” Sendak breathed, unbuttoning his shirt with thick but practiced fingers. Lotor’s breath hitched, trepidation warring within him, as Sendak stripped, stepping carelessly out of his dress pants. “So good. So lovely.”

Instinctively, Lotor flattened himself against the mattress as Sendak climbed over him, as powerful in his nakedness as Lotor was vulnerable. “Sendak, I –”

“Don’t talk,” Sendak ordered. Lotor clenched his jaw immediately, biting back instinctive protests as Sendak palmed his ass with his flesh hand. It was rhythmic and exploratory, nothing to complain about.

Until Sendak briefly pulled back, and the loud sound of a bottle uncapping cracked through the room. Lotor tensed as a lubed finger shoved unceremoniously into him, an unpleasant intrusion.

“Tight,” Sendak sighed happily. Lotor grimaced, focusing on Sendak’s ministrations, on trying to remain calm.

Sendak added another finger, and he forced himself to remain relaxed. A third, and he was practically dissociating, blanking out as Sendak readied himself to take him. In a way, he supposed that checking out could only be helpful. It kept him from tensing as Sendak withdrew his fingers and aligned his cock with Lotor’s hole, his fingers coming to grip Lotor’s hips tightly, his prosthetic hand promising to leave bruises.

This was much worse than giving a blowjob, he thought. Not – not that it was unbearable, it _wasn’t._ No less comfortable than remaining on his feet for an overtime shift.

Sendak’s hips pushed forward, and a hot column of flesh pressed inside him, parting his insides. He registered the sting deep inside him, and Sendak moaned loudly as he slowly sank deeper, pulling back only to thrust further inside repeatedly, repeatedly, repeatedly. Lotor clenched his fists and stared at the headboard as Sendak bottomed out. He could endure. Even as Sendak drew back and began rutting against him, he refused to focus on the sensations. He didn’t need to think of it. He didn’t need to feel it. He just needed to hold out as Sendak thrust into him, parting his insides with molten iron. He could withstand this.

Sendak’s hands tightened around his hips, and even in his detached state, Lotor couldn’t help but let out a gasp of pain. “Quiet,” Sendak ordered breathlessly, though he slowed a bit, rocking in and out, in and out.

How on Earth did some people find pleasure in this act?

Sendak spilled with a groan, and Lotor stared ahead. Cum dripped between his legs, and Sendak wrenched him back by the hair, yanking Lotor’s weight off his hands and pulling Lotor’s back flush with his own chest. Distantly, Lotor was aware of Sendak’s presence behind him, panting with exertion. “Good boy,” Sendak murmured, and he dropped Lotor to the bed as he pulled out. Lotor clenched instinctively, grimacing at the odd feeling of being so _loose._ The sensation passed quickly as he allowed his body to tense, closing a passage he’d never intended to use for entry. Even as he deliberately tightened his muscles, sticky liquid dribbled from his hole, dripping down his thigh.

He needed a shower – a shower, and then he needed to pass out _immediately._

His legs trembled as he pushed himself up, climbing to his hands and knees and turning over shakily, hissing as his ass made contact with the bed. The sound of water droplets raining against porcelain resounded from the bathroom, and he dimly realized Sendak had already occupied the shower. That was perfectly fine. He’d just allowed Sendak to fuck him in the ass – surely, he could tolerate showering with the man.

Still, Lotor loitered, ignoring the sticky miasma of sweat and cum that coated him, selecting his pajamas and then making his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Did he really need to wash his hair? Perhaps he could braid his hair now, before he got in the shower. Surely he only needed to wash his skin, to scrub between his legs until the sensation of _touching_ was wiped away for good –

“Lotor,” Sendak called from within the shower. “I know you’re stalling. Quit being dramatic and come clean up.”

Damn. He’d been caught.

Lotor swallowed back trepidation and forced himself to cross the oversized bathroom. He was being ridiculous, he reminded himself as he slid into the large shower stall. He reached for Sendak’s overpriced shower gel and squirted a generous amount onto a fluffy loofah, trying not to tremble as he scrubbed the night’s activities from his skin. It wasn’t like he was displaying anything Sendak hadn’t already seen. He’d willingly stripped himself bare and laid himself out like a feast before the other man. What harm was there in cleaning up with him?

A warm, muscular arm wrapped around him, and Lotor’s breath caught in his throat. The loofah fell from numb hands. His heart pounded in rhythm with the shower droplets as Sendak lowered his face to Lotor’s neck, nosing at the join between neck and collarbone. “I-is there anything else you want from me?” he asked shakily.

Sendak hummed. “I’m merely asking after you,” he said, his words slightly muffled against Lotor’s skin. “I know that’s not something you’ve done before, and I’ll admit, I wasn’t paying attention to your pleasure. So if you want me to reciprocate –” and Lotor’s heart dropped like stone as Sendak’s flesh hand palmed his crotch, his large palm warm against Lotor’s soft dick “– well, let’s just say I’m amenable.”

Lotor nearly gagged, resisting the urge to squirm away from Sendak’s hand. “That’s not necessary,” he choked out. “I’d rather just clean up and go to bed.”

He felt Sendak’s lips turn down against his neck, and bit back a shudder of revulsion. “Are you sure?” Sendak asked.

“Yes,” Lotor said firmly. “I –” He squirmed for a believable lie. “I’ve always had a relatively low sex drive,” he said. Not exactly a lie, but hardly the truth – he just rarely felt the urge to address his libido. “It’s nothing personal. I’d simply prefer sleep to sex most nights, if you’re already satisfied.”

Apparently, it was a sufficient explanation. Sendak let out an understanding hum, and withdrew his hand from Lotor’s crotch. “Finish washing up, then,” he said.

Shakily, Lotor retrieved the loofah and rinsed it off before adding more body wash and scrubbing himself a second time. He was terribly aware of Sendak’s eyes on him as he shampooed and conditioned his hair. Sendak shut off the shower when he was done, and they exited together. Lotor made a beeline for the main bedroom and yanked his pajamas on, his trembling limbs making it difficult to dress.

Fully clothed, Lotor slowed slightly. He was far too aware of Sendak’s presence as he drew his long hair over his shoulder, beginning to style his nighttime braid. Sendak set his prosthetic down on the end table, and Lotor shivered, his fingers flying as he managed his hair.

Sendak slipped into bed shortly before he’d finished. His braid complete, Lotor crossed the room on shaking legs, sliding into bed beside Sendak.

He anticipated the limb that snaked around his torso and pulled him taut against Sendak’s chest. “So good for me,” Sendak murmured, snuffling at Lotor’s neck.

“I’m glad,” Lotor lied softly.

The shower had helped to cleanse most of the grossness from his skin, but his ass and lower back still twinged, an unpleasant reminder of the activities he’d endured that night. Lotor took deep, shaky breaths, and willed himself to settle. It didn’t work. His mind raced as he lay compliant in Sendak’s arms, pushing illogical, impractical plans that would allow him to continue schooling without enduring this relationship with Sendak.

They were all foolhardy fantasies at best, none of them practical.

The sun had begun to peek at the morning sky before Lotor finally managed to succumb to sleep.

* * *

_Ezor: hey there sugar baby i know ur boi wanted u back early, u get sum? i know i know just a job, still gotta ask_

_Ezor: lotor_

_Ezor: dude dont make me go all acxa on ur ass. u good?_

It was several hours after Ezor had sent her texts that Lotor responded.

_Lotor: I’m fine, Ezor. Don’t worry about me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I used to almost feel bad for hurting Lotor so much in this fic, but at least I'm not hurting him as badly as canon did, right? My poor grape son...
> 
> Sendak's treatment of Lotor is only going to get worse, fyi. He's definitely the kind of abuser who escalates as soon as he thinks he can get away with it, here. (Not so) fun times!


	5. The First Weekend: Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lotor spends the weekend with Sendak.

The next two weeks passed in a haze of much of the same. He had days free, and regularly took the opportunity to skype his friends and explore the estate. He usually took dinners with Sendak, but occasionally dined alone. Regardless, after dinner, he would head to the library and its seemingly never-ending supply of high-end scotch. Most nights when Sendak returned he would blow him in their bedroom, but every so often Sendak was stressed, or annoyed, or simply in the mood for something different – on those nights, he’d let Sendak fuck his ass.

He wasn’t sure if it was a good thing that he was finding it increasingly harder to check out of those encounters.

Finally, the first day of fall semester arrived. Lotor was all too happy to take the Maserati once again, now equipped with a student parking pass. His classes started at ten and ran until four most days, but once again, Sendak didn’t expect him home until seven.

He figured he’d generally prefer to get home before then to begin work on his assignments and readings, but he did have a solid hour after classes in which he could spend time with his friends.

The first day, only Narti was available, but Lotor was happy to accompany her to the animal shelter where she volunteered. She may have been declared ‘unemployable’ by every job she’d ever applied to – and Lotor was convinced that was short-sighted at best, ableist at worst, on their ends – but the shelter had accepted her volunteer efforts without question, and _damn_ if she wasn’t good with animals.

He told her this as a geriatric cat who’d been in the shelter for nearly a decade climbed him and declared the inside of his ear its favorite new scent. Narti simply laughed, her shoulders shaking silently, her hands expressing amusement where silent laughter itself wasn’t enough.

He went home at the end of the day to an acceptable dinner, an expected drink, and a reluctant blowjob.

The first week and much of the second passed similarly. His classes would end, he’d spend an hour or two with whichever friends were free, and then he’d drive home for his monotonous routine. – food, drinks, sex, then sleep. The first weekend, he once again secured permission to drive the Maserati, and wasn’t even given a curfew – apparently Warlord Holdings was determined to make Sendak’s life a living hell, and therefore Sendak was sleeping in his office.

It was Thursday night of that second week of school, and they had retired to the library for drinks after dinner, when Sendak threw a wrench in Lotor’s routine.

“For better or for worse, final contract proposals are due by the end of the day tomorrow,” Sendak said as they sipped at their drinks. “I’ll be spending the weekend at home. I expect you to join me.”

Lotor practically inhaled his scotch through his nose. He spluttered, forcing himself to swallow the strong liquid and swallowing rapidly to keep it down. “I – I see,” he choked. “For the whole weekend?”

Sendak raised his eyebrows. “What exactly do you think I’m paying for – your absence at my convenience? Yes, for the whole weekend. Your little friends will survive without you.”

Lotor fought the urge to groan. “Understood,” he said, taking a long gulp of his drink. It wasn’t as if they could possibly have sex the _entire_ time, right? Sendak would tire, or grow bored. He couldn’t say he looked forward to spending the entire weekend inside the house, but he’d spent the first week-and-a-half of their arrangement confined indoors – at least this was only a few days.

Sendak finished his drink, and Lotor dutifully followed suit, before following Sendak into the bedroom to blow him.

* * *

Friday morning dawned, warm and cloudy. Lotor felt numb when he woke, a feeling that didn’t fade even as he drove to school. He had an assignment to turn in for his Field Methods class – the first actual assignment of the semester, and luckily one that he’d been able to work on throughout the week. He might, he was coming to realize, have to stay up after Sendak went to bed – or get up earlier than he had been, as his course-load increased as the semester went on.

He also could simply stop spending as much time with the girls, though that thought pained him.

As it was, none of them had been happy when Lotor had messaged them all to cancel the afternoon’s hangout, and to bow out of their tentative weekend plans. It wasn’t as though he _wanted_ to bail on them, but he wasn’t in a position to refuse Sendak – not on something like this. Borrowing the car when Sendak was out was entirely different from trying to avoid the terms of their arrangement that specified that Lotor would be available to see to Sendak’s whims and desires.

He had three classes on Fridays, the last of which ended at three. Lotor supposed he could have asked for a Friday curfew and spent some of the time between class and dinner on campus, but it was a bit late to ask now. Lotor tried to ignore the way the blood pounded in his ears for the entire drive to Sendak’s place.

Miraculously, he arrived at the estate without crashing the car.

Ordinarily, Lotor would make his way to their shared bedroom and settle down either on the bed or the floor to begin his schoolwork. Today, he made a swift beeline for the library. He had readings due Monday, and he really should get started on that essay for his Cultural Resource Management class, but his nerves were completely shot and really, what was the harm in having a drink to calm down just this once?

His hands shook as he poured too much scotch into his glass. The foul taste barely even registered as he swallowed a large gulp, willing himself to keep it together.

This was _fine._ Sendak wouldn’t be home for a few hours, and even then, he couldn’t possibly want too much from Lotor tonight. And even if he had the refractory period of a teenager, there could surely be only so much he’d want from Lotor over the weekend.

He took another gulp of scotch. His hand was steadier as he reached for his backpack and withdrew one of his assigned books. Forty pages of reading over the entire weekend – his professor _was_ aware that this was an upper-level course, right?

Lotor didn’t pour a second drink. His nerves had settled to something manageable, and he was relatively certain that any more and he wouldn’t remember his readings as well as he’d like. Carefully, he wiped the glass clean with his hands and swept away any errant drops with the hem of his button-down, just in case.

He wasn’t entirely sure why, but for some reason he didn’t want Sendak to know he’d had a drink immediately upon coming home.

Evidence hidden, Lotor slid to the floor to continue his readings from the ground.

* * *

His nerves came back in full force over dinner, and he found himself struggling to pay attention as Sendak spoke. He couldn’t afford to zone out – Sendak required enough engagement in the conversation that he would notice if Lotor stopped paying attention. The few times Sendak had caught Lotor simply going through the motions, he had been displeased.

Unfortunately, Sendak could be alarmingly perceptive at times. “I’m sorry, am I boring you?” he demanded, meeting Lotor’s eyes with a cold, impassive gaze.

Lotor froze, a forkful of green beans raised halfway to his mouth. He swallowed hard and lowered the utensil. “No,” he said quietly. Part of him – the cowardly part that he wished he could fully erase – shrank under Sendak’s disbelieving stare. “I – I’m nervous, that’s all,” he admitted, the words escaping in a rush. “We’ve not spent an entire weekend, well, _together_ before now,” he added as Sendak narrowed his eyes.

Sendak hummed, apparently unconvinced. “Don’t concern yourself with the weekend,” he said. “I’ll take care of all the logistics. You just need to focus on doing exactly what I say.”

And wasn’t that just the problem, Lotor didn’t say aloud. He nodded in agreement and forced himself to continue eating, the food turning to ash on his tongue.

They finished dinner, and Sendak beckoned for Lotor to follow. Lotor’s stomach lurched, plummeting like stone, as Sendak deliberately led the way past the library, heading directly to the bedroom.

“Sendak?” he asked as loudly as he dared, once they reached their room.

“I don’t feel like drinking tonight,” Sendak said, his voice clipped. “I’m afraid alcohol might be negatively affecting your experience. So tonight, we’re going to have sex, and you’re going to finish as well.”

Lotor shivered, waves of heat and cold alternating through his shoulders. His head buzzed, and his skin felt too tight, constricting, confining. “That – that’s not necessary,” he croaked, instinctively taking a step back.

Sendak had the audacity to roll his eyes. “I’m getting tired of this,” he announced. Lotor bit back a cry as Sendak seized him by the bicep, prosthetic arm hard and unyielding as he dragged Lotor forward. “I could understand your reluctance, and your flinching, and your little coy act if you were a straight man – but we both know you’re not. No straight man would hang with that group of women you keep around and not display interest in any of them.”

Oh. Oh, no. Lotor swallowed hard, unsure if it would be wise to correct Sendak’s assumptions. “I –”

“Enough.” Lotor cried out, startled, as Sendak seized the edges of his collar and _ripped,_ sending buttons scattering. “Don’t move unless I tell you to.”

Lotor’s heart hammered, his pulse pounding in his ears, as Sendak roughly stripped him. The clothes that Sendak had spent so much money on fell to the floor in tatters around him. “Sendak,” Lotor whispered, staring at the torn clothes with horror.

Sendak yanked Lotor’s slacks and underwear down roughly in one go, and Lotor bit his lower lip to muffle a cry as Sendak’s long nails raked his hip, digging almost deep enough to draw blood.

“Get on the bed,” Sendak ordered once Lotor was fully stripped, his voice deceptively soft. “I’m feeling generous – I’ll let you pick the position,” he added, his voice dripping with both lust and something darker as he regarded Lotor’s shivering form.

For his own part, Lotor counted it a miracle that he managed to continue to stand, proud and stoic, when he wanted nothing more than to fold in half and cover himself from Sendak’s deep, searing gaze. He didn’t dare test Sendak’s patience, though, and forced himself to stumble towards the bed.

Hands and knees was probably best. It would allow him some degree of stability, but he wouldn’t have to look at Sendak’s face.

The mattress creaked and dipped behind him. A lump rose in Lotor’s throat at the sound of a bottle clipping open. Lube. He took a shuddering breath. Just blank out and wait for it to be over –

Sendak’s slick hand closed firmly around Lotor’s soft cock, gripping tightly and caressing a thumb over his cockhead. Lotor yelped as a spark of sensation jolted through him and shrank away on instinct, pressing his back against Sendak’s chest.

Sendak chuckled. “Shy, Lotor?” he crooned into Lotor’s ear, gently pumping his hand. Lotor shivered with revulsion as Sendak’s hot, wet breath ghosted across his face. “There’s no need to hold back. You _must_ be pent up by now.”

Lotor bit his lip so he wouldn’t scream. His arousal grew, uncomfortable and hot and tingling and _overwhelming,_ against his will. His cock hardened slowly, blood rushing to his groin as Sendak’s warm fingers continued to pump his length, his palm a slick tunnel gripping Lotor just shy of too-tight.

Lotor closed his eyes as Sendak’s weight bore down on his back. Soft, wet lips sucked at Lotor’s neck as Sendak mouthed his way upwards to nip Lotor’s ear. That – it felt _strange,_ but not bad. Certainly not as overwhelming as Sendak’s hand, tightly fisting his cock. Maybe if he focused on Sendak’s mouth on his neck, and less on his hand on his cock, he could find the experience pleasurable?

It was worth a try. Sendak wasn’t the most patient man, and Lotor from the way he’d been speaking before, Lotor was sure Sendak would take any difficulty Lotor had in coming as a blow to his personal pride.

So Lotor distanced himself from the hand plaguing his lower body and turned his attention to Sendak’s mouth where it met his neck. He squirmed into the contact, hoping that Sendak would get the hint.

Sendak paused briefly, his mouth lingering at the join between Lotor’s neck and shoulder, and then he bit down, _hard._

Startled, Lotor cried out, bucking against Sendak’s body. Pain flared, and Sendak only bit down harder. “S-Sendak!” Lotor gasped, wincing.

Sendak’s fist continued to pump at the same, steady pace, but he unclenched his jaw and drew back, licking at Lotor’s enflamed skin. “You make delightful noises, when taken by surprise,” Sendak murmured. His tongue flicked out to lick the shell of Lotor’s ear, and Lotor shivered with disgust. “I want to hear you, Lotor.”

When Lotor had taken himself in hand in the past, it had always been a quick, methodical process. He didn’t make noise, because he saw no need; the term “cleaning the pipes” had always felt to him the most relatable euphemism for masturbation. It was a chore, nothing more – certainly nothing to take pleasure in.

Even with Sendak, the noises he bit back were those of pain and discomfort, not pleasure. Would Sendak even want to hear it? Wouldn’t he be insulted and offended that Lotor found his affections a trial to be endured, rather than something pleasurable?

Sendak bit his neck again, more gently this time, but Lotor allowed a soft cry to escape his lips anyways. Sendak _moaned,_ burying his face against Lotor’s neck.

They continued in this vein for several minutes – Sendak continued to stroke Lotor steadily, while laving his tongue across Lotor’s neck, occasionally interspersed with nips and bites. In spite of his discomfort, his arousal grew, tension tightened in his lower abdomen, and finally, _finally,_ he spilled all over Sendak’s hand, releasing a breathy gasp as he came.

Sendak withdrew his grip from Lotor’s softening cock. Distantly, Lotor thought he ought to be disgusted as Sendak wiped Lotor’s own cum over his back and shoulder-blades, but he couldn’t bring himself to summon any outrage. He was fading, he realized absently, the world around him taking on a surreal quality. He was fully aware of Sendak’s hands as the man gripped his hips too tightly, drawing him back towards his crotch. Sendak’s lubed dick speared him in one fluid move – had Lotor missed Sendak stretching him, or was he merely so limp from shock that he’d released any residual tension?

He wasn’t sure. It didn’t seem to matter in the moment.

Sendak set a moderate pace – not gentle, but nothing that would jar Lotor from this peaceful grey area where nothing was important and consequences didn’t exist. His hands tightened on Lotor’s hips, and while Lotor didn’t try to bite back his hiss of protest this time, he didn’t entirely understand what he was protesting. This – sex – was going to happen whether or not he wanted it.

He thought, if he could just stay in this state, that maybe he could get used to it.

Sendak finished a few minutes later, coming inside him with a contented sigh. Lotor remained obediently still for the long moment it too before Sendak straightened and pulled out. “Shower,” Sendak ordered, taking Lotor by the bicep and pulling him along.

Lotor trailed behind him, seeing no reason to not obey. Sendak turned on the water, then shoved Lotor immediately under the icy spray.

Lotor yelped in surprise, some of the haze fading from his mind as freezing droplets rained down on him. He flushed immediately, ducking his head in embarrassment. It was one thing to make pathetic little noises during sex – apparently, Sendak had a _thing_ for that. It was something else entirely do cry out due to something as innocuous as a blasted cold shower.

“Let me know when the water has warmed,” Sendak ordered, shutting the glass door none too gently, closing Lotor in the shower.

Well, damn. So much for the idea he’d had of climbing back out of the shower and waiting until the water was warm. Lotor glared at Sendak through the pebbled glass, scowling at his warped form as he reached for the shampoo and body wash. “It’s warm,” he called when the water was just on the barest edge of lukewarm. Close enough – serve Sendak right for pushing him into the shower while it was still freezing.

Sendak hissed when he stepped into the shower. “You call this warm?” he demanded.

Lotor stepped casually beneath the spray, which actually _was_ beginning to finally approach warmth. “Certainly, compared to the temperature when I entered the shower,” he said blithely as he began rinsing out his hair.

Of all the things he expected, the last thing was for Sendak to reach out, lightning-fast, and snag Lotor’s hair with his flesh hand. Lotor bit back a cry and his roots sang in pain as Sendak wrenched his head back, pressing into Lotor’s space and glaring down at him. “Watch yourself, Lotor,” Sendak warned, glaring at him. “I don’t care for these petty little games of yours.”

Lotor glared back up at Sendak. It was hardly a game of his if Sendak had started it in the first place – and _he_ was the one who had been shoved into the freezing shower, not Sendak. But water was trickling down his face, threatening to drip into his eyes, so Lotor closed them in superficial acquiescence.

“Good,” Sendak said, releasing his hair.

Lotor finished the shower in silence, his long tresses meaning that Sendak exited the shower before he did. Lotor wrapped the towel around his waist, cursing the lack of pajamas within easy reach. He splashed cold water on his face and brushed his teeth quickly, then towel-dried his hair as best he could before wrapping the cloth back around his waist and making his way back into the bedroom. He stopped dead at the sight before him, ice running through him.

Sendak stood next to the bed, still naked as he’d been in the shower. “Lotor,” he said casually. “Leave the towel in the bathroom. Neither of us will require clothes tonight.”

He just – he just wanted to sleep naked. Lotor had to hope that was the case. He wanted to sleep naked, and nothing would happen in the middle of the night, while he was helpless to prevent it or even prepare for it.

Lotor fought to keep his hands from shaking as he unwrapped the towel and tossed it behind him, back into the bathroom. He held his head high and told himself his gait was steady as he crossed the room to his side of the bed and crawled under the covers beside Sendak.

As he often did, Sendak reached out with his remaining arm and pulled Lotor tight to his chest. Lotor exhaled, attempting to relax, even as his traitorous brain refused to ignore Sendak’s length, blessedly flaccid, where it pressed against his buttocks.

He needed his rest. It was going to be a long weekend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sendak, make up your mind on if you want Lotor to be loud or to shut up. (I say, knowing this mercurial bastard won't be consistent,)
> 
> Enjoy the fuckery and Lotor's suffering!


	6. The First Weekend: Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lotor spends a full weekend with Sendak.

Lotor woke far too early to the unpleasant sensation of hard, heated flesh rutting between his unpleasantly slick thighs. They definitely hadn’t been that way when he went to sleep the night before, and it was with sickening certainty that Lotor realized that Sendak had woken before him and decided to take Lotor between the thighs while he slept.

He remained still, frozen where he lay, until Sendak finished, rutting through his orgasm quietly, his face pressed against Lotor’s neck. Lotor shuddered, twitching in Sendak’s grip, and Sendak stilled. “How long have you been awake?” Sendak murmured in his ear.

“Not long,” Lotor whispered. Hopefully, waking up midway through – whatever that was – hadn’t ruined whatever satisfaction Sendak had been chasing by taking Lotor while he was asleep.

Sendak hummed. “I’ll get you a washcloth,” he said, slowly withdrawing from the bed.

Lotor didn’t dare move, lest he smear sticky lube and Sendak’s release all over the sheets. He waited until Sendak’s footsteps approached before reaching back without looking. “Give it to me – I’ll clean myself,” he whispered.

Sendak huffed, and Lotor wasn’t surprised when the older man batted his hand away and swiped the warm, damp washcloth over Lotor’s thighs. “It’s no trouble,” Sendak said, his hand trailing firmly between Lotor’s legs.

Lotor shuddered and clenched his fists. Fine. If Sendak wanted to clean him, he could do so. Warm, wet terrycloth swept over his skin, wiping away lube and sweat and cum. He did feel better for being clean, even if he’d have preferred to clean himself.

Sendak finished with a final swipe that, unpleasantly, brushed over Lotor’s cock. Lotor bit back a hiss, and sat up cautiously as Sendak stepped back. “May I dress?” he asked quietly, craning his neck ever-so-slightly to meet Sendak’s gaze.

“You may,” Sendak said, carelessly tossing the washcloth into the bedroom hamper and making his way towards his closet. “I’ll have breakfast sent to our room.”

Lotor pushed himself off the bed and crossed the room as swiftly as he dared, hurrying to the closet and seizing the first pair of underwear his fingertips found. He dressed with fumbling fingers, clothing himself as quickly as he could manage, underwear and slacks and a long-sleeved shirt buttoned to the throat and thick, warm socks. He didn’t meet Sendak’s eyes as he exited the walk-in closet, keeping his eyes trained on the bathroom door. He took several minutes to brush his long hair, running the brush through silky strands until his hair gleamed, then took his time brushing his teeth and otherwise freshening up.

He couldn’t hole up in the bathroom forever, though, and he knew that. Lotor swallowed hard, but eventually conceded to himself that it was time to rejoin Sendak in their room.

Two trays rested on a foldout table when he exited the bathroom, and two matching chairs had been brought to their room while he readied himself for the day. Wordlessly, Lotor joined Sendak at the table, deliberately choosing to focus on the meal before him, rather than the company just across the table.

The staff cleared away the table and chairs when they finished, and Sendak allowed Lotor to retrieve his backpack before gesturing for Lotor to join him on the bed. Sendak kept his prosthetic arm wrapped around Lotor’s waist as the day went on, but seemed primarily content to occupy himself reading and occasionally answering emails on his phone. Lotor, for his part, endured the close contact. He had both hands free, so he freed his laptop and began work on his Cultural Resource Management essay, then, once he’d outlined the entire thing and begun the rough draft, turned his attention to the rest of his required readings. He completed his readings by the early afternoon, and swapped out his books for ones he had acquired to supplement his essay, marking pages, chapters, and passages with sticky notes to refer to for future reference.

Eventually, one of the staff came to announce that dinner was ready. Silently, Lotor packed his materials into his backpack and joined Sendak at the dining nook for dinner.

Apart from his rude awakening, it really hadn’t been a terrible day, Lotor thought to himself as they finished their meal and moved on to the library. The decanter of Scotch had been refilled since Lotor’s pilfered drink the day before, and if Sendak noticed that Lotor’s usual glass had been used since its last cleaning, he didn’t say anything. Lotor allowed himself to relax as he sipped his drink, reading in silence alongside Sendak.

Sendak closed his book, and Lotor downed the remainder of his drink, setting his own book aside.

“We’re going to try something different tonight,” Sendak announced as he led the way back to their room, Lotor following quietly behind him.

Somehow, Lotor doubted that “different” meant that they’d be going to sleep immediately and sexlessly. “What do you mean?” he asked.

Sendak chuckled. “You’ll see,” he said easily. How reassuring.

“Strip,” Sendak ordered as soon as Lotor closed the door behind them. Lotor forced his face to remain neutral as he unbuttoned his shirt, his hands steadier than they had been last night. Perhaps it was the alcohol, loosening his muscles and allowing him some artificial distance from the situation.

Sendak was rummaging through one of the armoires, visible in his peripheral vision. Lotor considered asking what he was doing, but figured he’d find out soon enough. He undressed, shucked his clothes into the hamper, and turned to face Sendak.

His mouth went dry as his eyes landed on the chains in Sendak’s hands.

“Sendak?” Lotor asked quietly, unable to tear his eyes away.

“I told you I want to try something new,” Sendak said. “Relax – I won’t hurt you. I just want to see how you look in these.” He shook the chains gently; Lotor shivered as the links clinked together.

“I…” Lotor swallowed hard, his vision blurring at the edges as he zeroed-in on the chains. “Will you release me if I ask?” he blurted out before he could stop himself.

Sendak raised his eyebrows, unimpressed. “I doubt that will be necessary,” he said coolly. “I’ll let you out if you need it. Otherwise, what’s to stop you from panicking within the first two minutes and demanding I let you go?”

Forget the first two minutes – Lotor was pretty sure he was already close to panicking. His heart pounded wildly in his chest, even as he forced himself to take deep, measured breaths. He still couldn’t take his eyes from the chains.

“I’ll make this easy on you.” Lotor forced himself to remain still, rather than shrink back, as Sendak closed the gap between them. Sendak hauled Lotor forward, and Lotor stumbled after him, clenching his teeth as Sendak shoved him onto his back on the bed. Only the barest vestiges of self-control kept him from fighting back as Sendak snapped what looked to be a police-grade handcuff around one wrist, snaked the chain through several of the thick mahogany slots of his headboard, and then snapped the other cuff around Lotor’s other wrist. Instinctively, Lotor pulled, but the chain remained solid and the wood didn’t budge; he was chained down, on Sendak’s side of the bed.

“Stay down,” Sendak ordered as Lotor made to scrabble to a sitting position. Lotor froze, his heart hammering, unable to look away as Sendak stripped.

Fully naked, with his cock proudly erect, Sendak crawled onto the mattress, positioning himself over Lotor. Lotor held his breath, his eyes stinging as Sendak lowered himself on top of him, taking just enough weight onto his forearms to keep from crushing Lotor’s chest. Sendak’s lips met the join of his neck and shoulder, just as they had the night before, and Lotor bit back a sob.

Normally, Sendak got right to the main event; either he’d direct Lotor’s mouth right to his cock, or he’d start immediately preparing Lotor’s ass. Last night had been an unpleasant derivation from normal, and one that Lotor had hoped would be a single aberration in the scheme of their arrangement.

How wrong he’d been, he thought distantly as Sendak’s fingers came up to gently circle his nipples. He pulled futilely at the cuffs, unsurprised when nothing budged. The metal bit into his wrists, hard enough that Lotor was sure he’d have abraded marks in the morning.

Sendak pulled back slightly, withdrawing his lips from Lotor’s skin. “What did I tell you last night?” he asked, sounding irritated. “I want to hear you.” His words were punctuated with a sharp bite just beneath Lotor’s ear.

Lotor whimpered, the sound very nearly a sob. Honestly, it was just so _unfair_ that Sendak expected him to be vocal. It was undignified, at best. Maybe if he could learn to fake moans and enjoyment, he could justify making noise, but as long as he was stuck with the whimpers and cries he’d been fighting down before?

It was honestly pathetic.

Eventually, Sendak seemed to tire of sucking at Lotor’s neck and playing with his chest. Lotor laid back, dazed and only half-present, as Sendak slicked up his cock and pushed into Lotor’s unresisting hole. Pressure built in Lotor’s chest as Sendak folded him practically in half, pushing Lotor’s knees nearly next to his ears and _fuck,_ Lotor had never appreciated his own flexibility so much before now.

Lotor was struggling to breathe by the time Sendak climaxed and drew out, allowing Lotor’s lower half to fall back to the bed. Lotor took a deep, shuddering breath, allowing awareness to trickle back as Sendak rose from the bed. Thank _god,_ they were done. Now he just needed for Sendak to unchain him.

To his dismay, Sendak didn’t touch the cuffs, instead dipping into the bathroom and returning with a damp washcloth. “What are you doing?” Lotor demanded, his breath picking up slightly.

“Cleaning you off,” Sendak replied blithely. “Isn’t that obvious?”

“I thought that’s what showers are for,” Lotor quipped, trepidation building in his chest.

Sendak hummed and seized one of Lotor’s thighs, drawing it back against Lotor’s chest and exposing him, even as he shouted in protest. “Normally, yes,” Sendak said, efficiently wiping the mess of cum and lube from Lotor’s thighs and dipping ever-so-slightly into his hole; Lotor bit back a noise as the rough fabric scraped against his tender insides. “Not tonight, though. You’ll be staying in these chains until I say otherwise.”

Lotor was vaguely aware that his breaths were bordering hyperventilation. “You – you said – you promised you wouldn’t hurt me,” he reminded Sendak, alternating waves of heat and ice wracking his form as his heart pounded and his lungs cramped and –

“And I won’t,” Sendak said, raising his eyebrows. “As long as you don’t struggle, you don’t have anything to fear.”

Lotor grit his teeth and tried to relax. His wrists ached where he had pulled against the cuffs, and he longed to lower his arms, to curl into a ball and protect his naked body from view.

Sendak lowered Lotor’s leg back gently to the bed. He carefully removed his prosthetic, set it down on the end table. “Stay put,” Sendak ordered, before ducking into the bathroom.

As if there was anywhere he could go. Lotor closed his eyes and focused on breathing, determinedly ignoring the wet trickle of Sendak’s remaining cum oozing from his hole.

Too soon, Sendak returned. Lotor’s breath hitched as Sendak climbed over him and rolled Lotor over; the cuffs caught on Lotor’s wrists as Sendak pushed him as far to the side of the bed as the chains would allow, then pressed close to him until they were chest-to-chest and pulled the covers over them.

Sendak’s breaths evened out into the peaceful rhythm of sleep within only a few minutes, puffs of warm air sweeping across Lotor’s face. Lotor wrinkled his nose and ducked his head awkwardly, his forehead pressing against Sendak’s clavicle. At this angle, he couldn’t help but breathe in Sendak’s musk, but it was better than breathing in the other man’s slimy breath.

* * *

“Lotor,” a low voice crooned in his ear. Lotor’s brow furrowed; he knew that voice. He tried to turn away, only for his hands to catch on something. A warm hand caressed his bicep, and his eyes shot open as he spluttered awake with a gasp. He shot upwards, only to immediately be jerked back down as pain ripped through his sore, abraded wrists; a breathy cry escaped his lips before he could stop himself.

Sendak stared down at Lotor, his face immensely pleased. “Yes, good morning to you,” he said, smirking down at Lotor. “I hope you’re not too worn out from last night.”

Lotor stared back at Sendak, wide-eyed. “I –”

“Good.” Lotor bit his lip almost hard enough to draw blood as Sendak jerked him forward and pressed him onto his back. He winced as Sendak kissed him roughly, pressing their lips together hard enough to bruise. Lotor spluttered as Sendak withdrew, but Sendak was already moving on, tearing the sheets away from Lotor, exposing him.

Sendak’s hands gripped him too hard, and Lotor didn’t even bother trying to protest. He squeezed his eyes shut as Sendak prepared to take him, hoping desperately that Sendak would be quick.

He didn’t resist as Sendak drew Lotor’s legs up, throwing his knees over Sendak’s broad shoulders. He clenched his chained hands as Sendak pushed in, grimacing as Sendak thrust into his hole, still disgustingly sloppy with dried lube and cum from the night before. Sendak didn’t seem perturbed by the mess, immediately setting a fast, bruising pace. Pain shot through Lotor’s lower back at a particularly hard thrust, and he barely remembered to allow his cry of discomfort to escape his lips.

He had the sudden, horrible thought that he’d have a terrible limp for the next few days – that he’d walk into class and all his fellow students would _know._

Sendak took longer than Lotor would have liked to finish. He finally came, a low moan escaping his mouth, and then collapsed against Lotor’s chest. Lotor wheezed, the breath knocked out of him.

Sendak hummed and nuzzled against Lotor’s neck. “Would you like the chance to wash up?” Sendak murmured sleepily in Lotor’s ear.

Relief trickled through Lotor, and he relaxed despite the heavy body collapsed across his chest. “Yes, _please,”_ he managed, resisting the urge to tug at the chains to make his point. It would only hurt his wrists further.

Sendak rolled off him with a grunt. He opened the top drawer of the bedside table, and Lotor had never been so glad to see a key before. Sendak unlocked the cuffs with painstaking care, and Lotor sat up, wincing as he put weight on his aching tailbone. Gently, he rubbed at his abraded wrists, hissing lightly as his fingertips came in contact with raw flesh.

“If you hadn’t pulled so much, your wrists wouldn’t hurt,” Sendak said practically. “Go wash up, and I’ll call for breakfast. Do you have any additional homework this weekend?”

Tragically, he’d finished everything he needed to the day before. Technically, he still had work to do for his essay, but he was well ahead of schedule, and he knew what Sendak meant.

“I don’t,” Lotor choked out miserably, hoping desperately that he didn’t sound quite as despondent as he felt.

The grin Sendak offered was far too pleased for Lotor’s comfort. “Good,” Sendak said. “I do have some work of my own to do, but I can complete that easily enough in this room.”

Lotor nodded, his throat tight. He staggered off the bed, his legs protesting angrily, his back and shoulders shrieking in protest. Stumbling, he made his way to the bathroom.

Rather than turning on the shower, he instead chose to run Sendak’s luxurious bathtub, setting it to fill while he did his business and brushed the foulness from his teeth. Really, Sendak could have at least let him up for _that_ the night before.

The tub was only partially filled, but Lotor settled in anyways, allowing the blissfully hot water to soothe some of the aches from his muscles. He moved slowly, content to wash both skin and hair at a languid pace, then allowing Sendak’s conditioner to set in his tresses for a long while before ducking beneath the water to rinse it out.

Partially to ensure he was entirely clean and partially to stall for time, Lotor ducked into the shower after finishing his bath. He rinsed, and then scrubbed his entire body again – just in case – taking extra care to clean the raw flesh around his wrists.

Maybe Sendak would let him bandage the wounded skin before chaining him down again, he thought as he exited the shower. He toweled off his hair, drying it as thoroughly as he could without a hairdryer, then wrapped the towel firmly around his waist. He took a deep breath, then exited the bathroom.

Once again, a table and chairs had been set up in the room, a tray set at each chair. Sendak, fully dressed and already in the process of devouring his meal, offered Lotor an impassive stare. “You took your time,” he said mildly.

“I wanted to ensure I am properly clean,” Lotor countered coolly. He lowered himself into the free chair – which was thickly padded, to his relief. The bath had done a lot to ease his aches, but he still wouldn’t want to sit on a hard surface.

No sooner had he taken his final bite than Sendak rose, staring down his nose at Lotor. “That’s enough of a break,” Sendak said coolly. “Lose the towel, and get back on the bed. Hands over your head.”

Lotor swallowed hard. “May I possibly have bandages, or some sort of protection for my wrists?” he asked cautiously.

Sendak folded his arms across his chest. “And how will you learn not to pull at the cuffs if I coddle you?” he asked. “No. It’s your own fault your wrists hurt.”

Lotor swallowed down his protests. He stared at the floor, his face burning, as he stood and allowed the towel to fall from his hips. His legs trembled slightly as he climbed back onto the bed and lowered himself gingerly onto his back. He curled his hands into fists to hide the way they trembled as he raised them over his head.

Sendak made a pleased noise. Pain jolted through Lotor’s wrists as Sendak snapped the cuffs back into place, biting metal digging into his skin. The cuffs felt tighter than they had last night; he realized, fear lancing through his chest.

“Sendak,” he bit out, attempting to remain calm, “I think my wrists are swollen. These are too tight.”

Sendak frowned and tugged at one of the cuffs, and Lotor hissed at the sensation. “You’re fine,” Sendak said. “If you’re so worried, I’ll check them again in a few hours.”

A few _hours?_ Lotor sucked in a panicked breath through his nose. “Sendak, _please,”_ he begged.

Sendak sighed. “What will you give me if I loosen the cuffs?” he asked.

“I…” Lotor’s mind was frozen. What could he offer Sendak that he hadn’t already? “What do you want?” he asked, amazed that his voice didn’t tremble.

Sendak looked thoughtful. “I think I’d like to gag you, today,” he said thoughtfully. “Not just when we have sex – from now, until I choose to let you up. If you agree, you can’t take it back.”

Lotor shuddered, and he wasn’t too proud to admit to himself that it was fear coursing through his body. Not only would he be unable to take back his decision, but he wouldn’t be able to communicate any other discomfort or needs to Sendak, if he agreed to a gag.

But his hands were already beginning to tingle, his circulation inhibited. It wouldn’t take long before the discomfort turned to pain, and while he didn’t think Sendak would do anything that would cause permanent damage, he also didn’t seem inclined to take Lotor’s discomfort seriously – he might very well allow Lotor’s hands to become permanently damaged due to sheer apathy and disbelief. “You can gag me after I confirm that the cuffs aren’t cutting off my circulation anymore,” he said finally.

“Done,” Sendak agreed. Lotor swallowed hard and held rigidly still as Sendak loosened the cuffs, until they rested firmly around his wrists, but not so snugly as to cause pain anymore.

Sendak reached into the top drawer of the bedside table and withdrew a different key, one larger and more ornate than the one that unlocked the handcuffs. He turned and made his way to the locked armoire, turned the key, and casually opened one of the doors.

Sendak’s bulk blocked the majority of the armoire’s contents, but Lotor felt his eyes widen at the little he could see. He couldn’t make out terribly many individual shapes, but a good deal of what he saw seemed to be made of leather. He gulped, his vision briefly whiting out as ice trickled down his spine.

Okay, so, the locked armoire was some sort of clichéd, overdone kink-chest. That was fine – he’d gotten the idea that Sendak might be just a little kinky, considering he was chained to a bed awaiting a gag. It wasn’t like Sendak had exactly thrown him into anything new without asking permission yet – or, okay so he hadn’t asked permission to chain Lotor down, but that wasn’t such a stretch from regular sex, right? Lots of people used handcuffs – it probably didn’t even register to Sendak as something he’d need to clear with Lotor. Anything more extreme, he’d get permission for, right?

He’d gotten Lotor’s permission before going for the gag after all – even if, admittedly, he hadn’t given Lotor too much of a choice.

Sendak dug through a drawer for at least thirty seconds before he seemed to locate what he was looking for. He rose, closed and locked the armoire, then turned around, some sort of perforated ball surrounded by a mess of straps clutched in his hand.

Against every instinct that screamed at Lotor to clamp his mouth shut and refuse to budge, Lotor allowed his jaw to fall slack as Sendak approached. He grimaced as the taste of silicone invaded his mouth and nose, but obediently lifted his head and allowed Sendak to buckle the contraption into place.

“Good boy,” Sendak praised, carding his prosthetic through Lotor’s hair. To Lotor’s surprise, Sendak reached for the bedsheets and pulled them over Lotor’s torso, covering him up to his shoulders.

It was such a small gesture, allowing him to preserve the tiniest shred of his ruined dignity. There was no reason for the swell of gratitude in Lotor’s chest, for the tears of relief that prickled at the corners of his eyes.

Sendak gave Lotor a long, searching look, then crossed the room to his desk and settled down in his chair. He fired up his computer, and Lotor was left with nothing but his thoughts, chained to a bed with his mouth uncomfortably distended, as-good-as alone despite Sendak’s presence only a few feet away.

* * *

Less than an hour after he’d been strapped into place, two members of the household staff entered the room to remove the temporary dining setup. Lotor’s cheeks burned, and he kept his face firmly turned away from the staff members, his eyes squeezed shut. Intellectually, he knew the entire staff was aware he was sleeping with Sendak, but knowing they knew was entirely different from them seeing him stretched out, gagged, and chained to Sendak’s bed.

Sendak, for his part, seemed entirely unconcerned, content to ignore his staff.

After the staff left, Lotor found himself drifting, increasingly bored. It turned out that being gagged and chained to a bed could only be stressful for so long before he became accustomed to the predicament, and then, he had nothing to do but stare at the ceiling. The ache in his jaw was slowly increasing, to the point where he couldn’t quite ignore it, even when he sank his teeth into the gag in an attempt to relieve pressure; still even that wasn’t enough to fully occupy his attention.

Sendak left after several hours; Lotor couldn’t see any sort of clock from his angle, but he thought it might be lunch time. His stomach, certainly, indicated such. However, Sendak didn’t bring any food with him when he returned a while later – though he did take the opportunity to free himself of his pants, draw back the sheet, and rut against Lotor’s stomach until he came.

He didn’t bother to wipe away his cum before pulling the sheet back into place, and Lotor grimaced as the spend slowly dried in place, sticking the sheet to his stomach.

After several more hours of boredom and discomfort bordering on pain, Sendak closed his computer and rose, stretching languidly. “I hope you found your day restful, Lotor,” he said easily.

Lotor offered him a bland, unimpressed look, prodding at the gag with an uncomfortably sticky tongue. Sendak chuckled. “What, you didn’t enjoy spending the day in bed?” he asked. “Tell you what – I’ll let you out of the chains and gag for now, until after dinner. Sound good?”

Well, Lotor didn’t like the implication that the chains and gag would resurface after dinner, but somehow he imagined that if he turned down the offer, he’d only remain tied down and gagged without respite until the morning. His dry throat cried for water, and his wrists begged for respite, so Lotor nodded in agreement, resigned.

Sendak smiled, and Lotor remained still while Sendak freed him from his restraints. He ran his tacky tongue over dry teeth and swallowed hard, trying to draw moisture into his mouth. “May I dress?” he asked, his voice coming out in a croak.

Sendak shrugged. “I suppose,” he said carelessly. “You’ll need to be dressed for dinner in a few hours, anyways.”

Lotor nodded and got to shaky legs. He grabbed the first clothes his fingertips found, a cashmere sweater and silken lounge pants. Good enough. He dressed, and when he exited the closet, Sendak was gone.

He stopped by the bathroom to cup water in his hands and drink, then to wash his wrists once again. The skin was worryingly sticky – oozing something, he realized – and some of the abrasions had leaked a few tiny trickles of blood, drying against his skin. He washed them clean and dabbed at his wrists with tissues until the sticky film was mostly gone. He doubted Sendak would be pleased if he ruined the cuffs of his sweater.

His hair was tangled from the straps of the gag and simply from laying on it all day. Lotor seized the hairbrush Sendak had provided him and dragged it through his hair, uncaring as he pulled out tangles and strands of silver.

Clean and properly groomed, Lotor was determined to make the most of his few hours of freedom. He re-entered the bedroom and grabbed his backpack, then made his way towards the library.

If Sendak wasn’t there, he was going to have a damn drink. Hell, if Sendak was there, he might still have a drink, then book it to a different part of the estate.

To his relief, the library was empty. Lotor’s hands shook as he poured scotch into his glass. He sat down in his usual chair and took a sip, reaching into his bag for his phone with one hand.

He pulled his phone free, and his stomach dropped at the myriad of notifications – most importantly, five missed calls from Acxa. Damn.

He elected to ignore the messages and skimmed the group chat. For the most part, nothing seemed amiss – a few messages speculated over his absence, though Ezor seemed determined to put a positive spin on things, even admonishing Acxa for worrying too much.

_Lotor: You all knew I was going to be absent much of this weekend. I don’t understand why you’re making such a fuss._

To his surprise, Narti was the first to respond.

_Narti: We knew you wouldn’t be in town. You didn’t say anything about going radio silent._

Lotor scowled, and was in the process of typing a reply, when his phone buzzed, the incoming call screen overtaking his message screen. Acxa. He sighed, but accepted the call. “Hello, Acxa. Shouldn’t you be at work?” he said by way of greeting.

_“I switched my lunch shift with Plaxum,”_ Acxa said. _“Why weren’t you answering your phone?”_

Lotor scowled. “Because I was with Sendak all weekend,” he said. “For future reference, assume that if I have to cancel plans to spend a prolonged period of time with him, I won’t be available to answer my phone.”

Acxa exhaled loudly. _“Fine,”_ she said.

Lotor rubbed his temple with his free hand. “Look,” he said. “Acxa. I appreciate your concern – no, I really do,” he said as she took a breath to say something. “But I don’t like this arrangement bleeding over into my personal life. Ever since I took Sendak’s offer, it seems like I can’t talk to you without spending ages reassuring you that I’m fine. I promise, I’ll tell you if I’m not. Can you please stop pestering me about it?”

Acxa was silent for a long moment. _“Okay,”_ she said quietly. _“Okay, I guess – yeah. I guess that’s fair.”_

_“Thank_ you,” Lotor said vehemently. “And please tell the others as well. Honestly, if you want to speculate about me, please set up a different chat that I’m not part of. You four and school are the only normal things in my life right now. I’d like to keep at least that normalcy.”

Acxa acquiesced, and they carried on a short conversation before Lotor excused himself.

He drained his drink and poured another, careful to down it well before he was summoned to dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lotor is totally not suffering and there's nothing manipulative on Sendak's part, right? Lotor's friends totally have no reason to worry about him, this is super 100% healthy and consensual, right?
> 
> (I'm so sorry, Lotor. Not really. But still.)


	7. Some Actions Have Disproportionate Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lotor has been distant, and Zethrid demands answers.

Now that the chains and gag had come into use, Lotor found himself tied up for sex with increasing frequency. It wasn’t so bad – just as Sendak had said, once Lotor learned how to hold still and stop struggling, he rarely injured himself on the cuffs. The gags, too, were annoying, especially when Sendak began to branch out from the original ball gag. Lotor wasn’t sure which gag was worse, the cock gag or the muzzle, but Sendak rarely asked him to endure those, so on the occasions that he did, Lotor didn’t refuse.

He found himself coming home directly after classes and staying home on weekends with increasing frequency, even when Sendak didn’t request his presence; schoolwork increased proportionally as the semester went on, and Lotor refused to fall behind. If that meant he spent less time with his friends, well, that couldn’t be helped. He’d make it up to them over winter break.

True to her word, Acxa stopped demanding to know if Lotor was okay when they spoke, and the group chat ceased to carry any mentions of his arrangement with Sendak. Lotor didn’t say anything, but he was exceedingly grateful for the snippets of normalcy in his life.

To Lotor’s immense surprise and relief, Sendak granted him the week of midterms off from sexual obligations, provided that Lotor handed over his cell phone and stayed at the estate when not at school, to study and to write his essays. It wasn’t an issue; the extra time to study was well-appreciated.

Granted, Sendak made it clear when he made the offer that he expected Lotor to submit to him for the entire weekend after midterms, but that seemed like a fair trade.

Lotor’s final midterm was for his Cultural Resource Management class, an exam that he breezed through with relative ease. He turned in his exam half-an-hour early and exited the building, equal parts glad to be done with midterms and resigned to his weekend with Sendak.

The last thing he expected to see was Zethrid, standing almost directly outside the Anthropology and Art History building, smoking a cigarette. “Hey, Lotor,” she said, raising a lazy hand and watching him with sharp, narrow eyes.

Lotor stilled. “Zethrid,” he said cautiously.

“You got a few?” Zethrid asked. “Before Sugar Daddy expects you to be home, I mean,” she added as Lotor opened his mouth to respond.

Lotor exhaled. “I suppose,” he said reluctantly.

“Oh, good,” Zethrid said, taking a last drag of her cigarette before dropping it to the ground and stomping it out. “’Cause I really didn’t want to have to turn this into a kidnapping.”

Lotor scowled, but followed his friend. It wasn’t far from the building that held most of his classes to street parking, and he didn’t have to look far to lay eyes on Zethrid’s battered grey truck. He slid into the passenger’s seat, and had barely shut the door before Zethrid started the car and took off immediately, nearly clipping the car in front of her as she pulled out directly onto the road.

“Whatever this is about, make it quick,” Lotor said, folding his arms across his chest. “I’m supposed to spend the weekend with Sendak, and I didn’t get out of my exam early enough for a prolonged visit.”

“Yeah, well, this is about Sendak,” Zethrid said. “And we’re just gonna drive around for a bit while we talk. Figured you wouldn’t want to have this conversation in public.”

Lotor frowned, the back of his neck prickling. “As I told Acxa months ago, I’d rather keep my friendship with you separate from my arrangement with Sendak,” he said irritably.

“Uh-huh,” Zethrid said, her voice flat. “Yeah, cool. That was fine at first. But you know what, Lotor? It’s not fine anymore – it hasn’t been for a while. We don’t see you anymore – not really. When’s the last time you stayed out past six with us? You always have to get back to that – _man,”_ she growled. “None of us have been able to get hold of you all week, and that’s almost _normal_ at this point. You’re constantly brushing us off. Are we even still friends, Lotor?”

Lotor flinched slightly at her words. “That’s not fair,” he argued. “I’ve always been harder to reach during the school year.”

“But not impossible,” Zethrid snapped. She glowered ahead at the road, clutching the steering wheel so hard Lotor almost feared it would snap in her grip. “So what is it, then? If we’re still friends, why are you avoiding us?”

“For the love of – I’m not doing it on purpose!” Lotor cried out, exasperated. “Believe me, I would love nothing more than to simply be able to carry on as normal and spend time with you as I wish. I didn’t ask for Sendak to demand so much of me!”

“Then tell him to back off!” Zethrid shouted, chancing a look away from the road to glare at Lotor. “Tell him he’s being unreasonable! What the hell happened to your damn backbone, Lotor?”

“I don’t want to give him a reason to stop me from seeing you all-together!” Lotor shouted before he could stop himself.

Zethrid slammed on the brakes, screeching to a halt in the middle of the road. Brakes squealed behind her, and several cars sounded their horns in protest. Zethrid scowled, then wrenched the steering wheel around, dragging the car unceremoniously into the nearest parking lot and yanking the emergency break before putting the car into park and twisting to glare at Lotor.

“What. The hell. Is that supposed to mean?” Zethrid asked, her voice low and simmering with rage.

Lotor crossed his arms and scowled at her. “I told you before, Sendak doesn’t like me spending time with you guys. So, no, I’m not going to cross him if it seems likely that he’ll limit my contact with you all.”

“Oh, you mean more than he already has?” Zethrid snapped, clenching her fists and leaning into Lotor’s space. Lotor leaned back on instinct, his head pressing against the car window. “What happened to you telling Acxa that if he did that, you’d end your little sugar-baby experiment, huh?”

Lotor swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. A part of him was acutely aware that Zethrid was just as tall as he was, and muscular enough to make most body-builders cry. He’d been aware of that as long as he'd known, though – why was it suddenly intimidating?

Zethrid let out a derisive snort and leaned back, and Lotor could breathe again. “Yeah, okay then,” she said bitterly. “Guess I thought you were different. Thought you were a normal person like the rest of us – but turns out you really _can’t_ hack it without Daddy’s money, not without having to get some other source for it.”

Something heavy settled in Lotor’s chest. “It’s not like that,” he muttered.

“No?” Zethrid snarled. “Then what’s it like, _Mr. Lotor Galra?”_ she spat.

“I don’t _want_ to – look, it’s true, I’ve adapted to the arrangement,” Lotor admitted. “The things Sendak wants – I only have to tolerate them for a few more years. Less than two, really – this semester is halfway over. And then it’s over for good, and I never have to see Sendak or _think_ about sex ever again.”

Zethrid scowled. “And you expect us to just hang around waiting for you like nothing’s changed, and everything will go right back to normal after two _years?”_ she snapped. “Nah, I don’t think so.”

“Well it’s better than Sendak –”

“Better than Sendak _what?”_ Zethrid growled.

“Sendak has blackmail material!” Lotor burst out. “He knows Ezor shoplifts from work. He knows about your criminal record, and that you all offered to help me commit robbery to pay my tuition. Yes, this arrangement pays my tuition and expenses, but it also means he’ll leave you all alone!”

Zethrid froze, her eyes widening. _“What?”_ she hissed.

“So I’m sorry if I haven’t been paying adequate attention to our friendship, but I’d rather not give Sendak the excuse to –”

“He’s _blackmailing_ you?” Zethrid asked furiously.

Lotor shook his head. “No – no, it’s not like that. He just – he mentioned it, when he first offered me this arrangement. I don’t want to take chances.”

None of the fury had fled Zethrid’s expression, though Lotor was fairly positive that it wasn’t directed at him anymore. “So Acxa was right to worry,” she snapped. “Fuck, all the times Ezor and I teased you about this –”

“You were perfectly within your rights to do so,” Lotor said firmly, cutting her off.

Zethrid shook her head. “Nope, clearly not,” she said. “All right, change of plans. We’re going to Acxa’s.” She depressed the emergency break and grabbed the gear selector.

_“No!”_ Lotor shouted, grabbing her wrist before she could put the truck back into drive.

“Why not?” Zethrid demanded furiously. “Don’t tell me you want to stay with Sendak!”

“I don’t, but that’s not the point!” Lotor said desperately. “It’s only a few years, it’s the best option for me, and it’s the only option I know won’t have repercussions for all of you!”

Zethrid stared at him for a long moment, then wrenched her hand free of his grasp. “You’ll thank me when we’ve got this sorted out,” she muttered, putting the car into drive and slamming her foot on the gas.

Lotor panicked as Zethrid peeled from the parking lot. Before he could second-guess himself, he’d thrown open the passenger door and leapt from the seat, his backpack wrapped in his arms. He hit the ground hard and rolled, hissing as his arms scraped against pavement, as his slacks and shirt caught and tore.

Sendak was going to _kill_ him – but it would be worse if Lotor didn’t come home at all. Lotor stumbled to his feet and took off running through the parking lot. It would take Zethrid time to turn around, and if he ducked between buildings and away from the road, he could surely make it back to campus without her catching up with him.

_“Lotor, wait!”_

But he couldn’t wait. It would take long enough to get back to campus and retrieve the Maserati. If he was lucky, he’d beat Sendak home.

It took nearly half-an-hour of sprinting and ducking through buildings and side-paths before Lotor reached the student parking lot where he’d left the car. He fished the keys out of his pocket with shaking hands and unlocked the car, tossing his backpack carelessly onto the passenger seat and locking the doors behind him as soon as he closed them.

He glanced down at his ruined clothing and winced. Multiple tears in his dress shirt, and ripped holes in his slacks. He’d never ruined anything Sendak had given him before. Somehow, he doubted the man would be pleased.

Lotor took a minute to catch his breath and calm his nerves before starting the engine. He allowed his mind to detach from his body as he drove on autopilot, the pit in his stomach solidifying every mile closer he came to home.

* * *

“What happened to your face?”

Lotor paused, uncertain, in the entryway to the dining nook. “I fell,” he said finally, raising a hand to his throbbing cheek. Sendak stared at him, unamused, and Lotor swallowed hard. “I swear.”

Sendak hummed. “Looks like road rash,” he commented idly. “And you’re not wearing the same clothes you left the house in.”

Cautiously, Lotor edged his way to his chair and settled down gingerly.

“Lotor.” He flinched as Sendak’s hand came down firmly on the table, open-palmed. “You _will_ tell me what happened.”

Lotor stared down at his hands. “I did fall,” he said quietly. “From a moving car.”

Deathly silence fell over the table, and Lotor resisted the urge to fidget.

“You fell from a moving car,” Sendak said, his voice smooth steel. “Whose car?”

Lotor swallowed hard. “Does it matter?” he asked, refusing to look up.

Sendak rose and circled around the table. Lotor flinched as Sendak roughly yanked his chair out and spun Lotor around to face him. “Whose. Car?” he asked.

Lotor hesitated.

_Slap._

A gasp caught in Lotor’s throat, and his hands flew to his injured cheek which pulsed and burned even brighter, pain dancing through his face at the force of the blow. Wide-eyed, he stared up at Sendak as he clutched the injured skin.

“Whose car?” Sendak asked again, his voice deadly.

Lotor swallowed hard. “Zethrid’s,” he admitted.

Sendak was quiet for a long moment. “Give me your phone,” he said finally.

Lotor stared at him. “What?”

Sendak grabbed Lotor’s wrist with his prosthetic and yanked it away from his face. “I won’t ask nicely again,” he snapped.

His wrist burned, and he glared at Sendak. “Why would you want my phone?” he asked angrily.

Sendak’s grip on his wrist tightened, and Lotor bit back a cry of pain. “Give it here,” Sendak ordered. “Now, Lotor.”

The grip on his wrist tightened again, and Lotor hissed as he dug through his pockets and pulled out his phone. He glared as Sendak swept the device into his hands, barely glancing at Lotor. “I’ll see you later. Go wait in my room.”

Lotor glared. _“Fine,”_ he hissed, shoving away from the table and rising. He was no stranger to being sent away from the table without dinner for some perceived infraction – even though, he thought darkly, this time had been entirely not his fault.

Sendak tapped at Lotor’s phone, and Lotor hesitated. “What are you doing?” he asked cautiously.

Sendak glanced up, irritation clear on his face. “Blocking your friends’ numbers and deleting your social media,” he said coldly. “I told you to go to my room.”

Ice poured through Lotor’s veins, and he stared at Sendak in horror. “You can’t – you can’t do that!” he spluttered.

“I can,” Sendak said, meeting Lotor’s stare dead-on, his fingers stilling on the phone’s screen. “You’re not to have any more contact with them. Clearly they’re a threat to your safety.”

Lotor clenched his fists. “She was _worried_ about me,” he hissed. “It was just a misunderstanding!”

“You try my patience.” Sendak pocketed Lotor’s phone and crossed the room, easily wrapping a large hand around Lotor’s bicep. A cry of alarm pierced Lotor’s lips as Sendak hauled him forward, dragging him from the dining nook. Lotor stumbled along after Sendak, too numb to even attempt to wrest his arm from the larger man’s grip.

Sendak practically threw Lotor into the bedroom; Lotor stumbled, and that was all the time it took for Sendak to close the door, leaving him alone in the room. The sound of the lock turning was loud in the room, and sure enough, the handle barely budged when Lotor tried to open the door. His breath caught in his chest, and he pounded at the door. “Let me out!” he shouted. “You have no right to do this!”

Sendak didn’t respond. Lotor snarled and punched the door, wincing as pain shot through his hand. “Damnit,” he hissed, drawing his fist in close to his chest.

Okay, he wasn’t getting out any time soon. Technically, he could leave through the patio door – but then what? Double back through the front door and try to find Sendak in time to salvage _some_ of his means of contacting his friends?

No. That was absurd, and he’d never make it in time. Lotor’s eyes lit on his schoolbag, and he shot across the room, freeing his laptop with trembling hands. He still remembered his Facebook password – he could log in on his computer before Sendak deleted it and message Acxa. She’d been suspicious the whole time – surely she could help him out of this situation.

Dread coursed through Lotor as he frantically typed Facebook’s address into the browser, only for an error message to cross his screen. “No,” he muttered, desperately typing in twitter, only to be denied again. Had he ever accessed social media from his new computer, rather than his phone? He hadn’t even thought to check if he had access – it never occurred to him that Sendak would do this!

Skype, then. Lotor’s hands shook as he accessed the application.

His friends’ list came up blank.

Lotor stared at the screen. “I’ll just unblock them,” he whispered. “I’ll just – they’ll know this is a mistake, Sendak can’t stop me from unblocking them –”

“I can, and I will.”

Lotor flinched – he hadn’t even heard the door unlock. Carefully, he settled his computer back in his bag, then climbed to his feet, glaring at Sendak. “This was _not_ part of our deal,” he snarled.

“I let you keep contact with your friends as a kindness.” Sendak’s hand shot out and Lotor stumbled back, but not quickly enough to keep Sendak from seizing a fistful of hair. Lotor bit back a cry as Sendak dragged him forward, pain lancing through his scalp. Sendak tugged Lotor’s head back, forcing him to meet his eyes. “I pay for that phone. I bought you that laptop. And I decide how you use them.” His eyes narrowed. “Our agreement was that you obey me. Now _obey.”_

Lotor glowered. “Then I’m ending this,” he hissed. “I’ll find another way to pay for college.”

Sendak shrugged. “Okay. Let me call the manager at – Sephora, I believe – to let her know about her thieving employee.”

Ice curled in Lotor’s stomach, but Sendak wasn’t done.

“And the owner of that diner where your friend Acxa works – I’m sure a man of my influence can easily help him come to an understanding regarding certain workers. Perhaps I’ll contact the local disability office and _suggest_ that a certain friend of yours is scamming her benefits –”

“Why are you doing this?” Lotor burst out desperately.

Sendak’s lips drew back in a snarl. “Because you’re _mine,”_ he hissed. “Go ahead and leave, if you want to keep contact with your little friends – but I will ruin their _lives.”_

Lotor’s heart pounded in his chest; humiliating tears welled in his eyes, and he blinked them away as hollow despair crept through him. “Fine,” he whispered, his voice cracking. “I won’t try to contact them.”

Sendak tightened his grip on Lotor’s hair further, and Lotor winced from the pain. “Trust me, I’ll know if you do, and you won’t like the consequences,” he warned. “No contact. You see them on the street, you walk away.” He dropped his grip and carded his fingers gently through Lotor’s hair. “It’s for your own good. Seeing your face so scraped and bruised – they had no right to do that.” His gaze darkened. “They had no right to mark what is mine.”

Oh, god. Oh, no, no, he’d made such a terrible mistake accepting this deal, Acxa had been right all along, and now –

And now there was nothing he could do to change things. Not as long as Sendak was willing to threaten his friends.

“Now,” Sendak said, his voice returning to its normal even pitch, “you disobeyed and fought me earlier. That was in violation of the terms of our arrangement.” His eyes narrowed as he stared down at Lotor. “And I am going to take it out of your hide.”

Lotor fought to keep from shaking as fear washed through him, his mind going blank with terror.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is what happens when you let the world's most dramatic lesbian who loves her friends way-too-much make impulse-decisions. In Zethrid's defense, she was 100% right to worry about Lotor. If only she'd been able to successfully kidnap him, I'm sure the girls could have talked sense into him!
> 
> Can't believe it only took half-a-semester for things to go to shit! Lotor's a junior, so only, what, a year and three-quarters left of this treatment unless he finds a way out of it? Assuming Sendak doesn't find a way to lengthen the arrangement, of course. But surely Sendak would never consider doing that. Sendak, being underhanded and shady in ways that hurt Lotor? N E V E R ~ Not in this fic~


End file.
